Cian O'Callaghan (Dublin Bay North, Social Democrats) | Oireachtas source

What are parents and families to do now? They are at their wits' end. They are increasingly being told that the only way to get the assessments of need that are needed for their children is to take legal action. The State is not contesting these cases, so the State is effectively putting its hands up and saying it is failing to meet the legal needs of children with additional needs. What is the Tánaiste's advice to parents? Is he telling them that the only thing they can do is to take legal action? Is he advising them to take legal action? What does he say the parents who are not taking legal action and whose children are being left at the back of the queue? The Government has been talking for quite some time about sorting this out but when will it actually sort this out? This situation is getting worse. Parents are being forced into taking legal cases they do not want to take. What is the Tánaiste's advice to parents now and when is the Government going to sort this out?

See this speech in context