Matt Carthy (Cavan-Monaghan, Sinn Fein) | Oireachtas source

The most frustrating and angering part of being a Deputy is when one is dealing with parents who are getting in touch in order to expedite getting healthcare for their children. It has to be said that no parents should have to contact any elected representative to tell that representative the most intimate details of the medical needs of their child to try to secure disability or occupational therapy or any other service that their child desperately needs. No parent should have to fight for years to secure an assessment of needs, which the law states should be delivered within six months. To reiterate, it is not just that the Government is failing those children and their families, the Government is breaking the law by doing so.

In my HSE region, last October there were 1,956 children waiting for an initial assessment for speech and language therapy, 1,444 were waiting for occupational therapy and 1,105 were waiting for physiotherapy. These numbers represent real children who are being denied the right to live full lives. They represent families who are going through the hell of trying to deal with HSE bureaucracy or the hell of listening to broken promise after broken promise. I met a mother today who travelled a long distance to be here for this debate. She has two sons with special needs, who have been cared for and loved by their family all their lives. However, they have been let down by the State every day of their lives. They are still being let down. Their mother, who has enough to contend with, had to establish a charity along with other families in order to provide her children with a service that should have been provided by the State. It is not good enough; it is not fair. In fact, it is a scandal.

I commend Deputy Tully on the work she has done and on bringing this motion to the House. I commend the motion and I welcome the fact that it is unopposed. However, it must be followed through with real action and with the implementation of the words as well as the actions required in the motion.

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