Frank O'Rourke (Kildare North, Fianna Fail) | Oireachtas source

I thank the Minister of State for coming to the House to discuss this Topical Issue matter in the absence of the Minister of State with special responsibility for disability issues, Deputy Finian McGrath. Hopefully, she will be able to take some of the concerns I will raise back to the Minister of State. I raise these concerns pertaining to the progress of disability services and the lack of those services on the ground on behalf of my constituents in Kildare North who are parents of children with disabilities.

As I raise this Topical Issue matter, I am conscious that the Minister of State, Deputy Finian McGrath, met these parents on a number of occasions at my request. I want to put that on the record and thank him for doing that and for his co-operation. Before Christmas, I think, in November, he also secured extra funding in this area. Unfortunately, however, as in so many other areas, we are not seeing the dividend of that investment on the ground and services are not being delivered.

One area I want to focus on is the assessment of need. At the moment, an assessment of need is carried out on a child with a disability, but despite what is being said, a period of between 18 and 24 months elapses from then until the actual care plan is implemented. A child with a disability, or some degree of special need, needs to get the appropriate supports as early as possible, as any of us would in order to reach our maximum potential, but that is not happening. When the actual care plan begins to be implemented after 18 to 24 months, that child's disability has developed and progressed further. The care plan that is being implemented therefore does not accurately reflect the child's needs at that time. That is a massive problem.

Occupational therapy, speech and language therapy and physiotherapy, which are critically important in these cases, are not there. They are not being delivered. The reason the resources are not forthcoming and the care plan is not being implemented is not that they are not being provided and the staff do not want to implement the care plan but rather the staff are not there and the services for these children and their parents are not there. We all acknowledge that these parents work tremendously hard. They do an excellent job at caring for these children and helping them to develop to their maximum potential. They do wonderful work. However, it should not be part of their job to fight the system every single day to get services that are needed for their child's development to progress. That is what is happening at the moment, and that is what needs to change.

Another concern is that reviews are suffering because care plans are not being implemented. Once an assessment of need has been carried out, a care plan should be implemented quickly in the areas identified. Thereafter, a review of the case and the child's needs should be carried out within 18 months or two years and the plan progressed accordingly. None of this is happening, however, despite what the Minister of State may have been told and what she may tell me. I speak and engage with the parents in question, who also met the Minister of State, Deputy Finian McGrath, and that is the message they have given.

Certain equipment is critical in helping children with disabilities to make progress. In one case before Christmas, a child needed insoles to assist with walking. In a letter to the child's parents, the Health Service Executive, HSE, stated the insoles could not be provided because it did not have the funds to do so. I provided the Minister of State, Deputy Finian McGrath, with a copy of the letter in question, which flatly contradicts the statement made by the Minister of State six weeks ago that there was plenty of money available for services. While I do not doubt the Government's commitment to provide funding for services for disabled children and young adults, this funding is not getting through and the services are not being delivered.

Area respite is vital for carers, parents and guardians of children with disabilities as it allow them to recharge. However, it is not available to some carers. Providing care is a big job and parents need to be at the top of the game at all times to give their child the full care required. If respite and other appropriate and necessary supports are not available, it will have a negative impact on parents.

The Government must deliver in the areas I have highlighted. I will raise a number of other issues when the Minister of State has responded.

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