Fiona O'Loughlin (Fianna Fail)
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I thank the Chair and I thank all of our guests for their presence here, their statements and their willingness and commitment in trying to make a bleak and difficult situation better.

We have had some talk here about crisis situations and about what we do at that point. None of us wants to have a situation where any situation gets to a crisis situation. It is all about that intervention beforehand. I am dealing with a number of families who, most definitely, are on their way to a crisis situation. I will not say we cannot get any type of intervention, but it is certainly far less than it should be to enable a young person, his siblings and his parents have some type of quality family life.

It is just not happening at this point in time.

I have a few questions, some general and maybe one or two specific. We are all aware of areas where some children with disabilities are falling through the cracks of service provision and between different interagency bodies, schools, disability services, mental health services etc. What key recommendations would the witnesses make as regards improving integrated service provision for children with disabilities? I put that to the witnesses as a general question.

As the witnesses know, as a committee, we have already stated that we would like to have the optional protocol to the UNCRPD adopted. It is important there is a mechanism whereby if something is not working, issues can go forward to an independent arbitrator. I am interested in some of the complaint procedures that some of the witnesses have in place because that is always important in trying to find a roadmap for young people.

If I may ask the Mental Health Commission in particular about the transfer of functions of specialist disability services from the Department of Health to the Department of Children, Equality, Disability, Integration and Youth, it is really important there is good integration with mental health and mechanisms to support that. Maybe the witnesses could discuss that and suggest what improvements could be made at departmental level.

As regards the progressing disability services roadmap that was recently published, do the witnesses think there is enough in that to drive change and, if not, what would they suggest is needed there?

I thank the Ombudsman for Children for his contribution and for highlighting the very difficult situation of young Jack and three other young people who spent 368, 205 and 107 days, respectively, in hospital when they did not need to be there. That is a big debate for all of us which has been highlighted in the last week as regards having some type of step-down facility for anybody, regardless of whether it is a child, an older person or somebody with complex care needs, and being able to have that bed for somebody who needs that critical care and acute care at that point in time. Maybe the witnesses could comment on the medical model of disability and the impact of the lack of services we have in the community to help parents support children in the home. Also, how can Tusla, the HSE and interagency bodies work better together to support families and find suitable placements when they are absolutely needed?