Dessie Ellis (Dublin North West, Sinn Fein) | Oireachtas source

Cork City Council, like Dublin City Council, does not. There are awful inconsistencies. I have another point. The bar seems to be set high in a lot of local authorities when it comes to medical issues. This is the case in particular for people with intellectual disabilities and mental health issues. The bar is so high for them to get places, and there are a lot of loops they have to jump through. In the case of someone with mental health issues, the mental health team has to endorse the decision. People have to go through all of that. For someone who is struggling, that is an awful lot to go through. I have had experience of it on a number of occasions. That needs to be addressed and we need to stop some of what is going on, because it is ridiculous. I have seen cases of people being refused medical priorities, which are beyond comprehension, but in particular for people with autism. Whatever it is, a person with autism is in real trouble trying to get certain services. I do not know if it is the same with all local authorities, but it is something I have seen.