Dr. Fidelma Brady:

I thank the committee for having me as an observer here today. One of the biggest areas we are working on at the moment is the lack of therapy services for our members. As the aim of this meeting is to align education here with the UN Convention on the Rights of Persons with Disabilities, this would fit strongly with Article 7, which relates to children with disabilities. The therapy provision in this country is falling so far behind it is almost meaningless and non-existent. The progressing disabilities services programme has been set up and is ongoing but many areas still have not transitioned to the unified approach that was in the plan and, I am sure, still is in the plan. Many areas have not made the transition to unifying the approach. As a result, children are waiting several years on a waiting list for therapy and transitioning. There are very few therapy supports for children transitioning from preschool to primary school. There are very few assessment reports to back that up because the professionals are not there. Teams have not been set up properly and are not running yet.

The regular therapy, for example, for pupils in second level education is so rare it is almost non-existent, even though these children, particularly the teenagers, have very complex language needs. There is a lot of evidence on evidence-based therapy service requirements suggesting therapy should not just be delivered once a week on an ad hocbasis but should be delivered several times a week to the children who need it, in both primary and post-primary schools. This is falling so far below the required level the research shows is necessary that it is meaningless. In some cases, parents are having to opt for private services and employ their own speech and language therapists. That is not an option for everybody. It is vital the unified approach becomes active and is up and running everywhere.

I deal with a number of parents week after week. Yesterday I was with a parent whose child has not seen a therapist of any sort, including an occupational therapist or speech and language therapist, for two and a half years. That parent does not have the option of doing it privately. That case is duplicated throughout the country. As Ms Hayes said earlier, this is a pure indication of where the structures, systems and procedures are impacting on the inclusion and education journey not just of young people and adults who are in further education or employment, which is the main focus of today, but right across the board at primary and post-primary schools. It needs to be addressed.

We in Down Syndrome Ireland have in recent days finished a new report on the facts and figures we have gathered from our members in recent years on the issues with therapies and the progression of the unification model for disability services. I will be happy to share that report with the Deputy and anyone else who would like it as it will contain the most up-to-date figures we have.