Derek Nolan (Galway West, Labour) | Oireachtas source

I thank the Minister of State. I do not normally use the Topical Issue debate for this kind of subject, as I like to use it for raising more policy-orientated issues. However, the reason I raised this matter was I thought it might put a bomb under someone in the Department who finally would wake up. While the Minister of State's response notes that in July 2013, the school authority submitted an application for therapy beds, I have just outlined the conditions in which the children currently find themselves in their educational facility. They are queueing to get changed and having soiled themselves, they must sit and wait to be changed for the sake of €10,000. The school applied last July for permission for therapy beds but was obliged to submit a further application in November. It is now the end of November and yet this situation persists. This is not the first time that such equipment has been provided and the Department of Education and Skills has funded these beds previously. Moreover, it has provided a hoist to lift children out of their wheelchairs and into a bed and I was hopeful that today's debate might induce someone to decide this involves €10,000, which no one can question is needed, and simply to provide it. To be frank, I am somewhat disappointed by the answer from the Department of Education and Skills. I will make this point to the Minister of State and to the Minister, Deputy Quinn, when I see him. I will make this point to anyone from the Department of Education Skills on whom I can get my hands, because I simply will not accept that this issue should continue and roll on for as long as it has. It is completely unacceptable and is completely wrong. It is morally wrong, as the people to whom I refer cannot talk, walk or feed themselves and they need to be changed. At present, they are sitting in their wheelchairs, having soiled themselves, and are waiting for an opportunity to change themselves . However, I am stuck with a letter telling me that an application was made in July 2013 that still has not been sorted out by the end of November but that if the school holds on, it still will be considered at some time in the future. This is not acceptable and in his response, I ask the Minister of State to take personal ownership of this matter as someone with a vested interest in it, because his constituents attend the school, and to ensure the matter is solved sooner and is not allowed to drag on again in perpetuity without resolution.

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