Rory Hearne (Dublin North-West, Social Democrats)

Cara, you are an inspiration to parents and children up and down this country. You are a citizen in the true meaning of the word. You have taken selfless action to right what is wrong, you have spoken truth to power and, while you see empty Government seats, that does not diminish in the slightest what you have done, your powerful action or the massive impact you are having. We in the Social Democrats and across the Opposition will continue to support you in what is happening. Mark, I am sure you are a very proud father. As a parent, I feel deeply that our State is utterly failing its children, particularly its most vulnerable children. It is failing to deliver their rights and to deliver services to them. The Ministers of State present know that it is the first duty of a republic to look after and protect its most vulnerable. Our Proclamation refers to "cherishing all the children of the nation equally" yet here we are utterly failing our most vulnerable children. It should be our starting point, our priority as a country.

In my constituency of Dublin North-West, I have been working with parents who have been trying to get assessments of need. They have been waiting months and years to get assessments and then further months and years for services. To give the House the figures, in CHO 9, which is an area that includes my constituency, 2,411 children are waiting for an initial contact. They have been waiting 12 months for an initial contact with a CDNT. These are areas such as Ballymun and Finglas, some of the most disadvantaged areas in our country, where children need intervention and parents cannot afford to pay for services privately. How is it acceptable? It is entrenching deep inequalities. These children have done nothing other than to be born in the wrong area and not be able to have access to services, supports and assessments of need. Many families are going private and breaking themselves to try to cover that cost.

What has happened in this regard is absolutely not acceptable. Different reasons have been given as to why these delays are happening. One of the reasons the Tánaiste gave was that the length of assessments of need was causing significant delays. He said some assessments can take up to 90 hours. I have followed this up with the HSE and it has been unable to provide data which shows that assessments of need are taking 90 hours. Why are the Tánaiste and the Government plucking figures from the air to try to justify reducing services and the number of assessments of need? It is not acceptable.

Cara and Mark, we will continue, as all the Opposition will, to push on this until children get the services they have a right to and need.

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