Tom Clonan (Independent)

The Minister of State said that the challenges facing children and adults with disabilities are rightly receiving much attention. I would say they are receiving attention because, generally speaking, they are in crisis. I listened carefully and with great interest to our colleague Deputy Ardagh on RTÉ radio. I do not know if the Minister of State heard her interview. She spoke movingly and passionately about the experience and challenges of accessing proper places for her children.

In the context of the publication of the new strategy on the rights-based approach to disability, will the Minister of State speak to his colleagues the Minister, Deputy Foley, and the Minister of State, Deputy Naughton, about the nature of the consultation involved? Neither Deputy Ardagh nor I was at the launch of that strategy, but I have read through the document in some detail and will comment on it later. It does not really address the urgency of the crisis we face. I say this to the Minister of State because I know the person that he is and the integrity and passion he has for this issue. We share that. It is not intended to be a criticism, but I do not get a sense of urgency or crisis in respect of all aspects of disability.

I want to ask the Minister of State a question that is also for his colleagues.

It relates to the education therapy service that is being rolled out. Who designed this education therapy service? What clinician signed off on it? What risk assessment was taken? We know that no clinician signed off on the progressing disabilities model, which has led to absolutely appalling harm to tens of thousands of disabled citizens around the State. I believe that matter will be visited in great detail at some point in the future. What clinical team or clinical sign-off, having learned the lessons from that, endorsed the design of the education therapy service?

As we speak, there are no speech therapists in the Central Remedial Clinic, CRC, in Clontarf, which is a national centre of excellence for therapies for disabled children. It is an extraordinary situation that there is no speech therapy available in that national centre. In that context, I wonder who designed the education therapy service. What risk assessment was undertaken? I want to be really specific. Who is the clinician who signed off on this?