Mattie McGrath (Tipperary South, Independent)

The crisis surrounding the assessment of needs process for children with disabilities sees it not just under severe strain. It is a system in breach of its legal obligations, leaving thousands of children without access to vital supports which they are entitled to by law. This should be a national emergency. What we are doing to young children and families is criminal. The HSE has been allowed to breach the law for years with no repercussions. Under the Disability Act 2005, children are supposed to receive an assessment of needs within six months of application, yet we know this is not happening. Families wait for years, during which time their children miss vital windows for intervention, development and care. This is not just a delay. It is a denial of rights, of equal opportunity and of childhood in many cases. Parents are exhausted. They are forced to become full-time advocates, legal experts and indeed campaigners just to get their children what they are entitled to and what is owed to them.

In Tipperary, the situation is particularly dire. As of March this year, there were 233 children and young people awaiting an autism assessment, while the wait time for assessments for a new referral is currently 48 months. That is four years. It is shocking. On top of this stress, the Government has spent €8 million on legal proceedings against parents seeking assessments for their children. This is a misallocation of resources that could have been better spent on providing the necessary assessments and supports. We have had report after report and commitment after commitment, yet the situation continues to deteriorate.

I commend Cara Darmody and her father and mother. She is a young girl from Ardfinnan, just beside me, in Tipperary, who has spoken with so many and has started a sleepover outside Leinster House. She was given commitments, as were countless other families, but promises mean nothing without delivery. It is time for the Government to act decisively and establish a mandatory fund as proposed in the joint Opposition motion to clear the existing backlog. It should set a definite timeline for compliance with legal obligations under the Disability Act. It should invest in sustainable solutions, including the recruitment and training of additional staff to meet current and future needs.

Indeed, we owe it to these children and their families to uphold their rights and provide the support they need. These rights are enshrined in the Constitution. We need urgent reform, we need accountability and above all we need to put our children and not bureaucracy at the centre of this system.

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