Mattie McGrath (Tipperary, Independent) | Oireachtas source

This is World Down Syndrome Day and I know that the Taoiseach will want to join me in sending good wishes to all members of the Down's syndrome community and their families in Ireland and throughout the world. I wish I could say services for people with Down's syndrome and other intellectual disabilities were even adequate in the State, but, sadly, they are not. Under the Disability Act 2005, the assessment of need must begin no later than three months after receiving a completed application form and be completed no later than three months after the date it begins. A constituent of mine who was told that her daughter would have to wait 12 months for an assessment of need made a complaint to the disability complaints officer. At the time she had complaint No. 1111 about the assessment of need process and was told that there was a five to six-month delay in even responding to complaints. Is that right in this day and age? The child in question was referred in May 2016 for an assessment of need and there is no sign of any such assessment coming down the tracks. It is likely that it will be May of this year before the child is assessed, which is truly shocking. Recently I received two separate telephone calls from parents whose children were attending the child and adolescent mental health services, CAMHS, in south Tipperary suffering from severe social anxiety and other mental health issues.

These children have been referred to the early intervention and disability services team for an assessment of needs but they have been told to expect delays of 12 to 18 months. Can the Taoiseach imagine those households, the anxiety, pressure and stress on the parents? These children were due to start secondary school in September and have no services. Even the fact they have received urgent referrals from CAMHS should be sufficient to ensure they are seen to but that is not sufficient. There are major issues, even after the assessment, where children who have been assessed are left waiting for occupational therapy, speech and language therapy and physiotherapy among other services. What is the Government doing to address this? Along with the Minister of State, Deputy Finian McGrath, it ratified the UN convention last week. I was told by the same Minister of State that a major reconfiguration of the therapy resources for children with disabilities, aged up to 18 years, was well under way. The national programme, Progressing Disability Services for Children and Young People, from zero to 18, was supposed to bring staff from different services providers together into children's disability network teams. It has not happened. Will the Taoiseach give us some assurance that this will happen? When will it happen? Is there any point to ratifying conventions and having Disability Acts passed if we do not put our money where our mouth is and put the people in place to deliver these services?

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