Joe Flaherty (Longford-Westmeath, Fianna Fail) | Oireachtas source

I thank our guests again for coming in. Some of their testimony has been harrowing, but it was very important it that it was placed on the record. One of the probably most alarming aspects has been what Ms Lowndes said in terms of the new CDNT and the PDS programme, namely, that unless people are on their knees, they will not get a service.

It seems that a monster has been created with the new structure that is being rolled out. Somebody has to say "Stop" and that this is not working. That is an important message to come from this meeting. I know that one of the groups is to meet the Minister afterwards. It is certainly a message we will be articulating. We will reference the email that parents in Longford sent to the Minister earlier, just to give them voice as well. Longford has been deteriorating under CHO 8 management for many years and the retention of local staff now seems to be another serious issue. Other local counties, while not fully staffed, are managing to provide a service. The progressing disability services programme has been in place for more than ten months but, rather than the support increasing, it is decreasing dramatically. It goes to the heart of what Ms Murphy said in respect of it not being child centred and the services not following the child. A very good example of that relates to special classes. If a child comes in from another county and another children's disability network team, CDNT, an SNA for the child is not guaranteed and suddenly the primary school has to carve up its limited resources. Everything the witnesses have told us today has cut to the heart of the problem, which is that the forgotten people in this are the children. It is a damning indictment on us as a Government, and for that we apologise.