Cormac Devlin (Dún Laoghaire, Fianna Fail)

At the outset, I welcome this debate and thank colleagues across the House for their contributions. It is clear we are united by a common concern for children with additional needs and their families, who deserve timely assessments and tailored supports. Far too many people are waiting far too long. No one here today can ignore the facts. There are over 15,290 overdue assessments, a figure that represents children, families and futures being left in limbo. Applications have more than doubled since 2020, rising to over 10,600 last year. These delays are unacceptable and must be addressed head-on.

It is also important to be honest with the public about the complexity of the challenges and the work that is already under way. I note the Opposition has tabled a motion on this issue this evening, which the Government is not opposing. In fact, we all share many of its objectives. They are shared priorities but real, lasting solutions require more than emergency funding; they require structural reform, workforce expansion and smarter delivery.

I welcome the Government's allocation of an additional €10 million this year to deliver nearly 3,000 additional assessments and to expand our capacity with new specialist teams, including senior therapists, health and social care assistants, as well as clinical trainees. We are already seeing progress on that front. Last year, we saw a 30% increase in the number of completed assessments, thanks in part to the targeted waiting list initiative. Over 2,400 assessments were procured through private providers, targeting families who have waited the longest.

That said, it is clear that it is not enough. No family should be forced to seek legal redress to access a right they are entitled to under the Disability Act 2005. It is deeply concerning that €7.9 million has been spent on litigation since 2021, money that should have gone to services, not to lawyers. The reality is that too much of our current system is still shaped by bureaucracy, not by the best interests of children. We have therapists spending a third of their time conducting lengthy assessments instead of delivering therapies. This needs to change.

We need a model that responds quickly to identified needs, whether that is speech and language therapy, occupational therapy or mental health supports, without unnecessary delays. Where legislation needs to change to support that, I know the Minister, Deputy Foley, will act. The Minister prioritised special education in her time with the Department of Education with regard to the SENs. I acknowledge the leadership of the Taoiseach, who from his first days in office ensured that disability had a full voice at Cabinet and created the first disability unit in the Department of the Taoiseach. The Cabinet Committee on Disability, which he chairs, continues to drive co-ordinated action across Departments.

As with her progress on the SENs, I want to highlight the work of the Minister, Deputy Foley, in placing a sharper focus on delivering therapies directly in our schools, starting with special schools and ultimately extending across the system. The funding for disability services in 2025 stands at over €3.2 billion, up €1.2 billion since 2020, but I and families know that funding alone is not enough. It is about access, delivery and outcomes, and that is where our focus must stay. We are also investing in school places and specialist support. Budget 2025 provided for up to 2,700 new special education placements and nearly 400 new special classes. We are on track to deliver five new special schools and to expand existing ones too.

In conclusion, the scale of this crisis is acknowledged. The focus must be on investing in services and reforming and restructuring services to deliver a better, faster and more equitable system, which meets the needs of every child not just in law but also in practice.

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