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

I commend Deputy Tully on her tenacity on this issue and representation of those tens of thousands of families who want nothing more than what their child is entitled to. The High Court has ruled that the HSE's AON process is operating outside the law and denying children with disabilities their rights, as set out in the Disability Act. Let it sink in for us all that an Opposition party is introducing a Private Members' motion that essentially asks the Government to stop breaking the law, allowing an agency under its control to break the law, and denying children their rights.

I do not doubt for one second doubt the sincerity of the Minister or Minister of State, Deputy Rabbitte, on this issue, but the crux is accountability. HSE representatives appeared before the Joint Committee on Children, Equality, Disability, Integration and Youth, and Deputies Tully and Cullinane were in conversation with them. The officials were asked what they needed and their answer was that we should actually scrap the little protection that our children with disabilities have - the legal provision. As the person responsible and approved by this House to oversee our health services, the Minister should drag all those officials in and threaten them with their jobs unless their attitude changes. If I am correct, he noted the remarks of the head of the HSE on a potential appeal of the High Court ruling. I suggest that he tells the CEO of the HSE that if he wants to appeal the ruling, the cost can be met from his wages. I suggest that the Minister, as overseer of the Department that gives the HSE its budget, tells the CEO and every senior manager in the HSE that the next time they decide to drag family a child with a disability through the courts, they can do so at their own expense because they do not have the authority of this House to spend the money of the taxpayers of Ireland to drag families of children with disabilities through the quagmire of the legal system. The message from this House should be unanimous, clear and heeded by the HSE. It should stop breaking the law and treating children with disabilities with disrespect and start providing them with their rights and entitlements under the Disability Act and the services they deserve.

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