Séamus Healy (Tipperary South, Independent) | Oireachtas source

The disability service is not fit for purpose. Everyone in this House knows that. Every Deputy here, like me, is contacted by parents almost every day of the week who are at their wits' end, totally frustrated fighting every inch of the way for services for their child, whether that be a young child or an adult child. We have to stop fighting parents. A parent in my constituency had to go to the steps of the High Court last year to get a place for her child. She was fought every inch of the way by the Government. That is simply absolutely unacceptable.

The second thing we must do is accept that the Government is breaking the law. Every child is entitled by law to an assessment of needs within six months of referral and that law is being broken every day of the week by this Government and has been broken by previous Governments. It has been raised in this House on numerous occasions. I raised it here with the current Tánaiste about ten years ago, so everyone knows about it and it is time to stop breaking the law. If a member of the public broke the law, they would be prosecuted so when will the Minister be prosecuted for breaking the law? The first thing we must do is accept that the service is not fit for purpose and second, we must stop breaking the law, partner with parents and not fight against them in future. There are huge issues, such as school places, parents getting four, five and six letters of refusal for appropriate places for their children in September.

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