Pat Rabbitte (Dublin South West, Labour)

When we were kicked out in 1997, more than 9% of people were unemployed. That was better, however, than the 14.2% who were unemployed in 1992 when the Progressive Democrats Party was kicked out. Deputy Kenny and I may have chalked up 50 years between us but the Tánaiste would be well on the way to that number if his constituents had not given him a long holiday every time they saw his performance in this House. I might have been on the high chair at the Cabinet but there is a good chance the Tánaiste will get the high jump from the people once more, as has been his habitual record.

I wish to ask the Tánaiste about a file he received last year from the parents of children with special needs in Drogheda. The organisation in question, Special Needs Active Parents, represents 64 families in Louth and a smaller number in Meath. In this file, these parents set out that there are 139 children under six years of age and 350 between six and 18 years with spina bifida, cerebral palsy, autism and several other disabilities in their area.

This file, which was sent to the Tánaiste and Minister for Justice, Equality and Law Reform, explains that these children cannot access occupational therapy and speech therapy service. There is one occupational therapist, who was appointed only a year ago, to serve these children. The need for these services is recognised by the HSE, which says there should be one occupational therapist per 15 children. The reality, however, is that there is only one full-time occupational therapist for these 490 children and provision for a half day a week for another occupational therapist who sets up the special equipment.

The file includes parents' harrowing letters detailing how their children are affected. One child, for example, who is named and whose parents are willing to be named, was born on 18 February 2003 and diagnosed with spina bifida and hydrocephalus. Since birth, he has received only four sessions of occupational therapy. His parents state:

Our children do not have time on their side and we, as totally worn out and frustrated parents, can only do so much.... A lot of us, myself included, have given up paid employment to be at home full time with our children.

Did the Tánaiste read the letters or any one of them and did he reply to them? Has he taken any action in response to that file? Can he explain why, given his view of us having more resources than we need, those parents are left in that limbo land without the services acknowledged by the HSE for their children with those particular disabilities?

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