Mr. Mark Darmody:

Politically, we do not hold the HSE to account. As Cara said, the culture - even politically - has to change. The HSE is in control of all of the issues we have been discussing. Regarding immediate financial relief, for example, the State accepts that it is the State's responsibility for our son to be reassessed. No one is saying that it is not the State's responsibility, but because the HSE has decided that it is going to let our family rot, the reassessment is not paid for. If I find someone to do it, why can that not be reimbursed? Why can the State not pay for that when it accepts that a reassessment is its responsibility but it does not have the competence to do it? Why is paying for that my responsibility? In our case, we are talking about thousands of euro to get a psychiatrist down from Dublin, given that Neil cannot travel more than approximately 20 miles. That is his limit. It costs €8,000 or €9,000 to get the proper care. If the HSE rings me up tomorrow and says that it will now give me a reassessment, it will be paid for. If it does not decide that, though, and I find someone instead, it will not be paid for despite the fact that everyone accepts it is the State's responsibility. Someone is going to have to explain that to me because it does not make any sense.

I urge the committee to consider the proposal on immediate financial relief and to find a system. Actually, the system already exists. If the HSE rings me and says that it will get Neil assessed urgently because there is a court case pending, then the assessment will be mysteriously paid for. There is obviously a mechanism, but I have an issue with the HSE being in charge of Joe getting it but John not getting it. One cannot say that there is a complaints mechanism. There is none. We are going through it right now and it is a disgrace. We are going to have to go through it for the next couple of months.