Carol Nolan (Offaly, Sinn Fein) | Oireachtas source

I propose to raise a number of important issues that have been brought to my attention by the parents of children with disabilities who are encountering obstacle after obstacle as they seek to secure essential and basic services for their children. These services are not available in counties Laois and Offaly, which has resulted in Laois Offaly Families for Autism, LOFFA, staging ongoing protests to highlight the absence of basic services for their children. I refer to speech and occupational therapy services, which are essential to the development of all children, especially those with autism.

LOFFA has held a number of meetings on this issue with Health Service Executive management in the past year. However, little progress has been made and the services available are declining further in both counties. Almost 1,000 school age children are on a waiting list for occupational therapy, with waiting times currently standing at approximately 47 months. This is scandalous in this day and age, especially given that these services are crucial to the well-being and educational attainment of the children in question. Such waiting lists are at odds with the provisions of the Education Act 1998 which states that every child has the right to a high quality education. The children on waiting lists in Laois-Offaly cannot attain a high quality education when basic, essential services are not in place. I highlight this important issue because it has been ongoing for some years and must be resolved once and for all.

Last year, LOFFA published a report clearly outlining the decline in the services available for children with disabilities. It is hard to believe that, rather than improving, services for children for disabilities are deteriorating. Children are waiting for three years to access speech and language therapy services and a further three years to access a psychologist. The school age team has yet to be put in place, which means no worthwhile intervention is available for the children in question. Were it not for the work of LOFFA, which represents 400 families, the position would be much worse. I commend LOFFA on the work it is doing but the children in question should get more support.

See this speech in context