Holly Cairns (Cork South West, Social Democrats) | Oireachtas source

I hope the Taoiseach is aware that Cork has the worst children's disability services in the country. Families are not coping seeing their children deteriorate with the lack of services. There are no words for the suffering families are enduring, not to mind the State’s neglect of children with disabilities. Progressing disability services has failed. Children are worse off than they were before reconfiguration. Not only are these children’s rights being denied, their capacity to live full, independent lives is being removed by the State. A key cause of this is lack of accountability. It is disgraceful that children's disability managers refused to meet the Cork parents' advocacy network and others. Yesterday, we learned these managers also will not meet the Minister of State with responsibility for disability. Where is the accountability? What is the Taoiseach doing in response? In particular, what is he doing to address the disgraceful lack of children’s disability services in Cork?

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