Pauline Tully (Cavan-Monaghan, Sinn Fein)
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I will begin with some questions for the officials from the Department of Children, Equality, Disability, Integration and Youth and then I will come to those from the Department of Education. Disability services for children is a major issue that is highlighted all the time. The officials outlined some measures they are taking to try and address the problem in this regard. We know there is a shortage of staff, but what emergency measures are being put in place to deal with children who require services now? Many of these children cannot afford to wait. It is going to totally undermine their quality of life if they do not get the services now. This needs to be treated as an emergency. There are thousands of children on waiting lists for assessments and services. Even those who have been assessed are waiting for the interventions. They are not receiving them. As I said yesterday at the meeting of the Joint Committee on Children, Equality, Disability, Integration and Youth, some parents have received letters from CDNTs that do not contain dates as to when interventions will be provided.

The other thing is that a large part of the UNCRPD is focused on the right to independent living. Quite a number of people are still living in congregated settings. In addition, quite a number of people under 65 years of age are living in nursing homes. There are not enough suitable houses for people to live in the community. It is not just the houses, however, it is also the all-round support. People need a personal assistance service in order to be able to live independently. That is not done on a needs basis at the moment. It seems to be done on a financial basis. Every person needs to be looked at to see what their needs are and how many hours they require but it is also about access to employment, education and having a social life. A huge part of that is about accessible transport. It is all-round supports that are needed. What are the plans for improving independent living and emergency measures for children?