Thomas Byrne (Meath East, Fianna Fail) | Oireachtas source

I appreciate that the Minister will not go into too much detail on this issue. The child was originally brought to the hospital in respect of a medical matter. I am not a doctor, but I agree that he does not need hospital care in Our Lady of Lourdes. However, there is no doubt that he needs further support from CAMHS and occupational or other appropriate therapists. I provided the Minister of State with the full details of this case prior to the debate. On behalf of the family, I beg him to do everything possible to get this child out of the hospital and into an appropriate setting. He does not belong or wish to be in the hospital and his parents do not want him to be there, but there is nowhere else for him to go. It is important that this be treated as a top priority. We know that there are significant deficiencies in this area generally. This child has fallen through the cracks of HSE services over the past year and a half. I met him and he is a lovely child, but he has autism and needs strong support to be provided immediately. I cannot overemphasise the pressing and urgent need for this child to be provided the appropriate support now. I am begging the Minister of State on behalf of the parents because that is what they want me to do. They want the child to come home when the appropriate interventions have been made and appropriate therapies given and that needs to happen as soon as possible.

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