Gino Kenny (Dublin Mid West, People Before Profit Alliance) | Oireachtas source

This Bill provides for the transfer of the land, property, rights and liabilities of the three children's hospitals to the proposed body. It is a very technical Bill, which gives continuity to the incumbent Children's hospital group board. I have reviewed the board membership of the national paediatric hospital development board and the Children's hospital group board. As mentioned by the previous speaker, there are not many union representatives, worker representatives or lay people on those boards, which is an astonishing omission in terms of membership of these boards. I hope that this new board will take cognisance of lay people, union representatives and worker representatives who work in the hospital. The hospital location in the form of the St. James's Hospital site is fantastic and it has been the subject of discussion for a very long time.

I refer to the juxtaposition of the glitter of the new hospital and the manner in which we are treating children in today's Ireland. Like many other Deputies, I have engaged with parents on access to child and adolescent mental health, CAMH, services and other services. The lack of services is beyond belief. Parents are so stressed and put to the pin of their collar that this is having an affect on both their daily lives and those of their children. These are determined parents who want the best for their children. They have organised into a new group called Enough is Enough, where every voice counts. The Minister of State, Deputy Jim Daly, will be aware of the crisis surrounding assessments of need. Owing to the suspension of the proposed new standard operating procedure, the system is in a mess. I am sure the Minister of State will agree that without diagnosis, children and their parents remain in very difficult situations. The current waiting time for an assessment of need is up to two years, which is unacceptable. Some parents have resorted to paying privately for speech and language services for their children, at a cost of approximately €120 to €140 per week. The Minister of State will, I believe, understand the point I am trying to make. On the one hand we are building a new hospital and new boards are being established and provided with statutory powers while at the same time thousands of children are waiting for elementary services, which are so important to their development, but they are not able to access them. The point I am making is that what is going on in terms of hospital building is in contradiction with what is happening in children's services.

As a member of the Joint Committee on the Future of Mental Health Care, I am aware of the ongoing crisis in our system in terms of staff and so on. I support the Bill. It is important it be progressed quickly, given construction of the new children's hospital was first mooted in 2007.

There is a big demonstration called by Enough is Enough on 6 October at 2 p.m. in the Garden of Remembrance for our parents and children who are awaiting vital services. It is important that people who are extremely frustrated by waiting times for their children come to this protest.

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