Eoin Ó Broin (Dublin Mid West, Sinn Fein) | Oireachtas source

In the constituency of Dublin Mid-West which I represent, a high number of children and young people with autism and other special needs are on particularly lengthy waiting lists for support services. There are some fantastic services in the area such as Rosse Court in Lucan and schools such as St. Peter the Apostle junior and senior schools in north Clondalkin that provide world-class supports for children and families. Unfortunately, too often such services are not adequately supported by the Government.

It can take up to 18 months for a child to get a diagnosis from the local CAMHS service. When the child gets a diagnosis, he or she may have to wait a significant period before being able to access services. The most recent updated figures provided to me by the Minister for my local HSE community healthcare organisation area indicate that more than 50 children were waiting for a place on the early bird programme, 173 for psychological support, 203 for speech and language therapy and 231 for occupational therapy. However, the real scandal is the length of time for which they must wait. Children were waiting 18 months or more for the early bird programme and psychological support, 23 months for speech and language therapy and 24 months or more for occupational therapy. That is three or four years of a young child's life during which his or her development is actively being held back by the failure of the Government to invest in adequate services. Indeed, when I asked a mother from my constituency who has two young boys on the autism spectrum what was the single worst thing about her experience of the system, she did not refer to the length of time she had to wait for a diagnosis. Rather, she stated it was when, on the day she got the diagnosis for her first child, she was given a 50-page information booklet and sent on her way. She said it was the most difficult moment of her life and that the one thing she would seek today, in addition to increasing resources for support services, would be that parents be given greater support at the time of diagnosis to enable them to navigate their way through that very difficult, traumatic and, at times, bureaucratic system.

I echo the comments of other Members on schools and school placements, particularly senior school placements in Dublin, and on social welfare anomalies such as the taxing of carer's allowance - unlike domiciliary allowance - which places an unnecessary burden on parents.

I very much hope that the Minister of State, Deputy Finian McGrath, who is present, is listening to what Members say on this issue. More importantly, I hope the Government will act and do things differently such that families such as those we represent do not have to continue to live with the very difficult circumstances that have arisen from the failure of the Government to plan, invest and support families and people with autism.

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