Seán Haughey (Dublin Bay North, Fianna Fail) | Oireachtas source

A Programme for a Partnership Government has commitments on disability services, particularly in respect of children with intellectual disabilities. I raise the situation in community healthcare organisation, CHO, 9 covering Dublin north city and county. I refer to the early intervention team, early intervention services and access to multidisciplinary teams provided by Beechpark Services and St. Michael's House. There is a waiting time of 27 months for these services, which involve children seeing psychologists, speech and language therapists, physiotherapists, occupational therapists, paediatricians, social workers, educationalists etc.

There are complex problems in that part of the city. There is also an increase in the number of children and a resultant increase in the numbers presenting, as well as those presenting with complex needs. Parents are at their wits' end. In some cases, children are receiving no services at all. I refer to children with autism and other forms of intellectual disability. Will the Tánaiste ask the HSE and the Minister for Health, Deputy Harris, to fill the positions for all of these roles I outlined and to provide these services for the children and their parents? They very much need them at this time.

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