Marian Harkin (Sligo-Leitrim, Independent) | Oireachtas source

I am pleased to be able to support this Bill. I thank the Regional Group for bringing forward this important legislation. Like many previous speakers, I can say that one of the issues that has been raised with me time and again is that there is a postcode lottery when it comes to the provision of services to children and adults with autism. The Bill we are debating takes a strategic approach in proposing a cross-departmental, multi-agency ASD strategy. It means that the services will be joined up, which is very important for people.

For me, perhaps the most important feature of the Bill is that it proposes the adoption of a lifetime approach, which covers the entire life cycle. That gives confidence to persons with autism and their families. Second, the Bill assigns responsibility for the implementation of the strategy. It establishes a clear system of accountability and scrutiny relating to the provision of services to persons with ASD. That is hugely important because time and again, parents and advocates get lost in the labyrinth of agencies which might perhaps have one responsibility in the area but not another. Therefore, a strategy which assigns responsibility, ensures accountability and covers the entire life cycle is the type of strategy we need.

All of us know, from speaking with parents and carers, of the intolerable burdens that have been placed on families and caregivers over many years, but particularly over the past year and a half. We know that waiting lists have increased for many services during that time. I am only repeating the words of many politicians, but I, too, received heart-rending emails and phone calls. It is difficult when a parent is advocating for their child and they see the life chances of their own child diminishing in front of their eyes. Parents have told me that their children are moving backwards because they have only been able to access two, three or five sessions of speech and language therapy or occupational therapy, or whatever service they badly need. For me, those phone calls are some of the most difficult I receive. Parents tell me they spend much of their energy trying to get assessments of need for their children and when they finally get those assessments there are few services available, sometimes none, and generally long waiting times.

Earlier this year, I submitted questions to the Minister for Health regarding the number of children in counties Sligo and Leitrim currently awaiting assessment, treatment and therapy. The figures I have are perhaps not up to date. I have heard the Minister of State speak in the Chamber since then about the fact that children are accessing assessments. I would be delighted to hear a statement or receive a clarification from the Minister of State on that. I will not cite those figures now and I will look for them again specifically in relation to counties Sligo and Leitrim. When I submitted the questions, over 80 children were awaiting initial therapy and over 440 were awaiting speech and language therapy. While we may have reduced the number of children waiting on assessments of need, has that reduction fed into the numbers waiting on therapies, whether it is speech and language therapy or physical therapy? I believe the HSE is working to reduce those waiting lists and I accept that Covid has played a role in delays, but it seems that part of the problem is the difference between the number of positions or posts allocated in Sligo-Leitrim and the number of positions that are filled. For example, I understand that up to 40% of the positions in speech and language therapy in Sligo-Leitrim are unfilled. What can be done about that? We can all talk about it, bring it to the Minister of State's attention and complain, and rightly so, but what can be done, what is being done and is there any improvement?

In May last, I submitted questions to the Minister of Education asking if she would consider CHO 1, which covers the Donegal, Sligo, Leitrim, Cavan and Monaghan area, as one of the areas to be included in the extension of the pilot of the school inclusion model. The school inclusion model is based on the principle of providing the right support at the right time, delivered by a range of personnel with the relevant qualifications and skills. Its purpose is to help students achieve better outcomes and test a model of tailored therapeutic supports that allows for early intervention in terms of providing speech and language and occupational therapies within education settings. It has already been piloted elsewhere. I know that Covid has slowed down the extension of the pilot to other areas, but the Minister of State, Deputy Madigan, stated quite clearly that funding had been provided in budget 2021 to further roll out the pilot programme to two extra CHO areas. We are still awaiting an announcement on that. I ask the Minister to ask his colleague, the Minister of State, Deputy Madigan, how soon that decision will be made. While I will not ask him to lobby the Minister of State for the CHO 1 area to be included in the pilot, I sincerely hope it will be.

I did not hear all of the Minister of State's intervention because there are committee meetings and other things happening. I caught the end of her speech, where she talked about the delivery of the autism innovation strategy and how it is under way. I am satisfied that the Government will not oppose this Bill, because the Minister of State said quite clearly that she supports legislating for services in an equal and holistic manner. I believe this Bill will certainly achieve that. I hope it informs Government policy in a real and meaningful way.

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