Mattie McGrath (Tipperary, Independent) | Oireachtas source

Ar an gcéad dul síos, I welcome Cara Darmody, who is such an advocate for her brothers and all children with autism and other disabilities. I also welcome her dad, Mark, as well as Catherine Cox of Family Carers Ireland.

I welcome the motion and thank the Labour Party for tabling it. The figures referenced in the motion are stark. I do not want to repeat figures that have already been read out but the numbers are enormous and a shame. Children are placed on never-ending waiting lists with no communication. They are left to the winds. It is not fair. There is a revolving door, with staff, including therapists and managers, leaving as quickly as they are recruited. There is no accountability or response from senior management, let alone from the Ministers or the Department of Health.

There are 1,100 children between the two teams in Cashel and Clonmel in south Tipperary. The CDNTs in south Tipperary are operating on a skeleton staff. It is shocking. My late brother, Eddie, was a paediatrician of some renown. He is dead 15 years now, God rest him. There were huge problems in the system when he was practising but it has deteriorated badly since then. Cara Darmody has come out of school and will sit a leaving certificate exam this year. Yvonne met her, as did all the groups and parties. Cara should not have to do that to raise awareness and funds for valuable resources for schools in Cashel and Ardfinnan, however.

When are we going to wake up? The waste in the HSE is exorbitant. Look at the amount paid to consultants at Cork University Hospital, for example. Money was fired around during Covid and can be found for refugees but there is no money to look after children with special needs. Families should not have to come to the constituency offices of Deputies to tell their life stories and share their emotions. It is nothing short of disgraceful but the Government does not seem to care.

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