Joe Flaherty (Longford-Westmeath, Fianna Fail)
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It is very important that this committee lists the adoption of the Maltese model as one of its key actions. We need to start putting pressure on both of the Ministers of State to ensure action is taken to ensure this model is in place for next summer. We have heard how the lives of siblings have been affected and that grandparents must step into the role of carers after having worked all of their lives. Those situations are unseemly for a modern and so-called progressive nation.

One hears about grandparents having to step into the role of carers, having worked all their lives. It is unseemly for a modern and so-called progressive nation that this is happening. I will be impressing upon both Ministers that it is critical that action is taken on this. It is not a big demand and if Malta can do it - it is now looking at our special classes - there is no reason we cannot action it.

I am delighted to see Ms Jenkins here. She has been a great champion of those with special needs. We have had many engagements and it is important, having brought her all the way to Dublin, that we give her an opportunity to highlight a more parochial challenge. She spoke earlier about the connection between special schools and the children's disability network teams or CDNTs and how important it is that we get the information we need from the CDNTs and that such information is given to the schools. It is fair to say there has been a complete breakdown of the CDNT in Longford. Regardless of what figures one uses, we are all agreed that there is a staff allocation of 12.5 for the team in Longford but at the moment there are only 2.8 staff servicing that operation. There is only 0.5 out of 4.5 in speech and language therapy and the social worker has been off since just before Christmas. It is fair to say that it is a crisis situation in Longford. Ms Jenkins was one of the parents who, on behalf of the special needs classes and schools group in Longford, wrote to the Minister of State, Deputy Rabbitte, about this and copied in the local Oireachtas Members. She asked for an external review of the staffing in what is a calamitous situation with the CDNT in Longford. It is clear that the system is broken and is failing children and parents. Has Ms Jenkins had any response to the email she sent to the Minister of State? Has she received any update on what action has been taken to remedy what is, in effect, a crisis in the CDNT in the Phoenix Centre in Longford?