Mark Ward (Dublin Mid West, Sinn Fein) | Oireachtas source

Parents trying to access life-changing interventions such as speech and language therapy, occupational therapy and psychology is one of the biggest issues in my area and for people who come to my office. I said this previously to Mr. Reid. I met with Clondalkin Autism Parents Support Network last week and the one word I can use to describe those parents when I left the room is "exhausted". They are exhausted just trying to get the basic services their children need for the children to reach their basic developmental milestones. I concur with Senator Clonan. Those parents would agree that they have been failed as well.

I wish to return to the start with Mr. Reid. Nobody in this room has the monopoly on saying that the staff in the HSE care. I agree with him. I have met staff members in the CDNTs and I have family members who work directly with children with disabilities, and nobody goes into that line of work without caring. For me, it is a vocation for them. They go there because they want to make a big difference in the children's lives. However, it is the systemic failures in the HSE that have led to these staff members being frustrated and to a mass exodus of staff from the HSE.

Deputy Sherlock asked a question that was not answered. It was regarding the number of people have left the CDNTs since January. Are exit interviews being conducted with these staff to find out why they are leaving and measures being put in place to stop this? That is important.

The other matter I will touch on is probably the elephant in the room. I acknowledge the Minister of State's honesty in respect of taking full responsibility for the failures regarding children with disabilities. In any engagement I have had with her, I have found the Minister of State to be a straight talker. I agree that the buck stops with her, but it is not just her. I notice the gap between the HSE and the staff here. It is very visible. The optics are not good.

A concern I had recently was when the Minister of State was continuously blocked by the HSE from getting on-the-ground updates amid concerns she had about services for children with disabilities. Has this matter been resolved to the Minister of State's satisfaction? Is she getting the information she requires? I ask Mr. Reid what led to the culture of arrogance that created a situation whereby a democratically elected Minister of State with responsibility for children with disability was blocked from getting the information she needed to carry out her duties on behalf of the State.