Peter Fitzpatrick (Louth, Independent) | Oireachtas source

Families of children with autism and moderate learning disabilities, dual diagnoses, are in crisis in counties Louth and Meath. I am aware of 15 families who have adolescent children with autism and moderate learning disabilities who urgently require a psychiatrist's review while being told by the HSE that that service is unavailable as there are no psychiatrists on the HSE team. In addition to no psychiatrists being available, the only paediatrician available in Louth and Meath is Dr. Maeve McCormack. Dr. McCormack will see only children who are 16 years of age or younger. There is a four- to five-month waiting list to see Dr. McCormack. CAMHS will not see teenagers who have a dual diagnosis, while these adolescent children cannot be seen by mental health teams until they are 18 years old.

Assessment of need is a statutory process under the Disability Act 2005, whereby the Health Service Executive reports on the health needs and, more recently, the education of a child. That is not being done. There is a loophole. We need a bit of help. I have raised this with the Minister and the Minister of State, Deputy Rabbitte, over recent years and we are getting nowhere with it. Our health service is in crisis. If a child goes into an accident and emergency department or a hospital and there is a sudden diagnosis of a disability, nobody wants to look after the child. The child is left in limbo. The family is left in limbo.

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