Holly Cairns (Cork South West, Social Democrats) | Oireachtas source

I thank the Minister of State and the HSE representatives for coming before the committee. Their opening statements made reference to the progressing disability services programme intended to reform services and supports for children with disabilities through the creation of the children's disability network teams. In particular, Mr. O'Regan's statement claimed that the programme provides "fairer access to services ... based on ... needs, ensuring [that] ... clinical teams work ... with families and with education staff to support children and young people", but I have to conclude from the accounts of multiple parents who have explained their situations to me, and those of people who come before the committee, that progressing disability services is currently a failure. It is as simple as that.

In September, 41 children were waiting for initial contact with the west Cork children's disability network team, CDNT, 11 of whom have been waiting less than four months, while 30 children have been waiting between four and eight months. To give one example from the very many constituents who have contacted me about this, one child with autism spectrum disorder has received one hour of occupational therapy and one and a half hours of speech and language therapy in the 15 months since the child's assessment of needs. Some families can afford to pay for this privately but when we are talking about early intervention, it should not come down to who can or cannot afford it.

The committee has discussed a case in Cork where young people will not be able to access spaces in special classes in secondary school because the CDNT will not be able to make the recommendations in time. I know the representatives cannot discuss individual cases but I am citing these as evidence of the failure of the progressing disability services programme to date. I do not expect the HSE representatives to comment on individual cases but the teams obviously are not sufficiently staffed. Promises of staffing next year are not good enough for the children who needed interventions yesterday, or 15 months ago, not to mind over the coming months. Staffing next year will not address that.

I have a long list of constituents who have major issues with the shortcomings of the CDNTs, as I am sure all public representatives do. I will contact those constituents later today with the HSE response. What, if any, assurances can the HSE representatives give that these issues will be addressed? The HSE previously offered the committee a visit to a community children's disability network team, but it was one of its choosing. I have been trying for months now to meet the west Cork CDNTs. I ask the Minister of State to help me arrange that.