Richard Boyd Barrett (Dún Laoghaire, People Before Profit Alliance) | Oireachtas source

I have several cases like that as well. There are problems with the tenant in situ scheme and councils are looking for reasons not to go through it with families who are facing the prospect of homelessness. Something has to be done about it.

I want to raise an issue quickly that is also shocking which relates to children with special needs. This story can probably be repeated many times. A young woman and mother called Margaret came in to my office this week. She has two children with special needs. Her son Thomas, who is aged five, was diagnosed with autism an intellectual disability in January 2023. He had been previously referred to the children's disability network team, CDNT, and was waiting on speech and language therapy, occupational therapy and a psychologist. He was due to start the speech and language therapy next week, July 2024, but received a letter last week deferring the appointment until January 2026. I am not easily shocked but that is unbelievable. I know there is the understaffing in the CDNTs and CAMHS, but that is just criminal neglect of a child with special needs. I seriously ask that something be done about that.

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