Áine Collins (Cork North West, Fine Gael) | Oireachtas source

I thank the Minister of State for attending to discuss this issue, which has been raised in my constituency and in respect of which I am finding it difficult to get clarity. I understand that personal assistance for preschool children is covered by the HSE and usually delivered in communities by service providers. Children are assessed based on their physical needs as opposed to their intellectual needs.

In September, three children in my constituency started preschool at four years of age. One has Down's syndrome and major physical disabilities and another has delayed development and is unable to use a bathroom, needs to be in a play school, etc., but neither can get a personal assistant. A third child has cystic fibrosis and, following a stroke, has no use of one arm. St. Joseph's is our service provider in Charleville and the surrounding area of Cork North-West.

I would not raise a situation in the Chamber lightly. I have been in contact with the HSE in Cork at all management levels. I have been told that it is for St. Joseph's to perform the assessment and provide care. St. Joseph's has told me that it has been instructed not to provide further personal assistants for preschool children. The HSE has asserted that it has no vehicle to do this.

While I understand the issues facing providers in terms of budget cuts and audits to ensure that they are efficient and making appropriate provisions, this support will be no good to the three children in question next year. They need it now. It is not acceptable that, if they lived in a different part of the country, they would get it.

Despite questions about who has an entitlement, it is clear from my research that physical needs are a factor in these three cases. As such, they are legally entitled to support. However, the State does not seem to be providing it. HSE management claims that this is a matter for the service provider, but the service provider has shown me information to the effect that it was told not to provide support. This is because a personal assistant is not provided where a person has an intellectual disability, only where he or she has a physical disability. The three cases clearly involve physical disabilities. This is frustrating.

We discuss child care and early child intervention a great deal. These are important issues. We should be there before three years of age, never mind four or five years of age. The parents are distraught. Any parent of a child with a disability faces challenges. It is tough enough on those parents without having to fight this bureaucratic battle or to contact me, the HSE and St. Joseph's.

It seems to depend on where one lives. There is no problem in getting this service in some places. In other places, it is a major problem.

We do not have a standardised service, so I would like to hear the Minister of State's thoughts on the matter.

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