Dessie Ellis (Dublin North-West, Sinn Fein)

In my constituency of Dublin North-West, there are a great number of children and young people with autism and other special needs and disabilities who have been waiting for assessment and support services for a long time. I have had many parents come into my constituency office who are frustrated at the long waiting times for their children and who cannot progress or get the service they require without first having this assessment carried out.

It is important that children are assessed at an early age so that they can get the supports they need, which are crucial for them as they grow into young adults. In CHO 9 alone, which covers my constituency of Dublin North-West, more than 2,400 children have been waiting for over a year for an initial contact from the children's disability network. This is contrary to the terms of the Disability Act 2005, which states that children are legally entitled to an assessment of need within six months of applying. In reality, only a tiny percentage of those who have applied for an assessment have received one. This demand for assessments in CHO 9 is growing. According to the Department of Health's figures, in CHO 9, the demand for assessments of need increased by approximately 14% from 2022 to 2024.

These delays mean that children are being left behind at a crucial time in their development, which negatively impacts both the children and their families, particularly those who need urgent access to specialised services. We are now at a point where we have a 14-year-old schoolgirl, inspired by her own family experiences, protesting outside the Dáil for urgent action on the growing waiting lists for disability assessments for children. The assessment of need process in Ireland is crucial for identifying and addressing the needs of children and young people with disabilities.

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