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

Cara Darmody is continuing her protest outside the Dáil today because nothing she has heard from the Government has convinced her to end it. Asked repeatedly yesterday if the Government would stop breaking the law, the Taoiseach could not even give that assurance. The Government does not seem to see the problem with this. It has access to State resources, can direct policy and can authorise hiring. It can fix this, yet despite having all these tools and resources at the Government's disposal, all the Taoiseach could offer yesterday was the same old tired excuses. I want to examine some of those excuses now.

The Taoiseach said yesterday that, fundamentally, we need to change the legislation when it comes to assessment of need. When exactly did he arrive at this decision? The High Court struck down the accelerated assessment procedure more than three years ago. The Government has had all of that time to act but it did not. The procedure was struck down for a good reason. It consisted of one hour of observed playtime and a 30-minute discussion with a parent. Children were then diagnosed as having a disability but not told which disability they had. It was a completely inadequate, box-ticking exercise. Is the Taoiseach telling us that this is the system to which the Government will return or is its plan to get rid of assessment of need altogether?

The Taoiseach also said yesterday that he was in the process of setting up a disability unit in his Department. It is now nearly six months since the election. How far along in this process is he? What is the delay in setting it up? If the issue is really a priority, why was it not done on day one? The reality is that successive Governments have claimed disability is a priority. Endless waiting lists for assessment of need and vital services tell a very different story. Parents know that early intervention can make a world of difference to their child. It could be the difference between learning how to speak or getting left behind. Imagine what it is like to see your child placed on an endless waiting list as they miss key milestones.

As Cara has learned, when it comes to this Government, talk is cheap. Last year, when she met the Taoiseach's colleague Simon Harris, he made commitments to her. Instead of keeping those promises, they were broken. Cara has said it does not matter what age someone is; anyone who makes a promise should keep it and if they do not, their credibility will be gone. The credibility of this Government is already in tatters, with a list of broken promises, but there is an opportunity now for the Government to rebuild it. Following the Taoiseach's meeting with Cara this morning, will he now tell us when the Government is going to stop breaking the law?

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