James Geoghegan (Dublin Bay South, Fine Gael)
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8. To ask the Taoiseach for an update in relation to the establishment of the new disability unit within his Department. [6095/25]

James Geoghegan (Dublin Bay South, Fine Gael)
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9. To ask the Taoiseach for an update in relation to establishment of the new disability unit within his Department. [6383/25]

Richard Boyd Barrett (Dún Laoghaire, People Before Profit Alliance)
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10. To ask the Taoiseach when the Cabinet Committee on Disability will meet [6430/25]

Paul Murphy (Dublin South West, Solidarity)
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11. To ask the Taoiseach when the Cabinet Committee on Disability will meet [6433/25]

Barry Heneghan (Dublin Bay North, Independent)
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12. To ask the Taoiseach to provide more information on the role of the new unit focused on disability that will be established in his Department. [6435/25]

Mary Lou McDonald (Dublin Central, Sinn Fein)
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13. To ask the Taoiseach how the new disability unit within his Department will function. [7554/25]

Barry Heneghan (Dublin Bay North, Independent)
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14. To ask the Taoiseach if he will outline the main priorities for the new disability unit within his Department. [7739/25]

Ruth Coppinger (Dublin West, Solidarity)
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15. To ask the Taoiseach the way the new disability unit within his Department will function. [7941/25]

James Geoghegan (Dublin Bay South, Fine Gael)
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16. To ask the Taoiseach for an update in relation to establishment of the new disability unit within his Department. [7953/25]

Rose Conway-Walsh (Mayo, Sinn Fein)
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17. To ask the Taoiseach if he will provide an update on the new disability unit in his Department. [8192/25]

Ivana Bacik (Dublin Bay South, Labour)
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18. To ask the Taoiseach the way the new disability unit within his Department will function. [7612/25]

Cian O'Callaghan (Dublin Bay North, Social Democrats)
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19. To ask the Taoiseach when the Cabinet Committee on Disability will meet [7945/25]

Erin McGreehan (Louth, Fianna Fail)
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20. To ask the Taoiseach when the Cabinet Committee on Disability will meet next. [8486/25]

Aindrias Moynihan (Cork North-West, Fianna Fail)
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21. To ask the Taoiseach when the Cabinet Committee on Disability will meet. [9170/25]

Ruairí Ó Murchú (Louth, Sinn Fein)
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22. To ask the Taoiseach the way the new disability unit within his Department will function. [9301/25]

Cian O'Callaghan (Dublin Bay North, Social Democrats)
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23. To ask the Taoiseach when the Cabinet Committee on Disability will meet. [9488/25]

Micheál Martin (Cork South-Central, Fianna Fail)
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I propose to take Questions Nos. 8 to 23, inclusive, together.

The Cabinet committee on disabilities has been established to oversee the implementation of programme for Government commitments in the area of disability with specific focus on children’s disability services as well as disability services more generally under the forthcoming new national disability strategy. It is due to meet shortly.

Under the programme for Government, we are committed to delivering a step change in disability services. To deliver on this I have established a standalone Cabinet committee on disability. The Government is committed to advancing the rights and improving the lives of people with disabilities.

We will prioritise the publication of and fund a new national disability strategy, setting out a vision to 2030. We will adopt a whole-of-government approach and advance the implementation of the United Nations Convention on the Rights of Persons with Disabilities and the Optional Protocol to the Convention of Persons with Disabilities.

I am also establishing a disability unit in my Department. This unit will support the work of the Minister for children, disability and equality and other Ministers in driving cross-government working and collaboration to improve the lives of people with disabilities and enable them to achieve their potential.

I know many in the various sectors are working hard for children, but the system is not delivering. I want to unlock the capability I know exists and further build capacity to implement models of support and care that work, particularly for children and families. I am engaging with Ministers and officials to fully tease out the programme of work for the unit to establish how it can best add value and impetus to the disability agenda in the same way the Department has done in the area of child poverty. On Monday, 24 February, we had a good meeting on the unit attended by eight Ministers.

The unit will support the work of the Cabinet committee on disability. It will have a key role in overseeing the implementation of programme for Government commitments in the area of disability, with a particular focus on the forthcoming new national disability strategy. It is important to ensure that the work of my Department does not duplicate others' work, rather it should further drive innovation and give momentum to policy implementation. It will also identify gaps between Departments and agencies, and promote and support cross-government, inter-agency and inter-disciplinary working for the benefit of all those with disabilities.

Verona Murphy (Wexford, Independent)
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We have 11 Deputies. I propose 45 seconds each if they require an answer. I call Deputy Geoghegan.

James Geoghegan (Dublin Bay South, Fine Gael)
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I very much welcome this whole-of-government approach to disability services which is so essential to meeting needs.

My question relates to recruitment and retention. The critical skills list was expanded in 2022 so that occupational therapists and speech and language therapists could get employment permits. I have received replies to questions which show the figures are quite small. Just 62 occupational therapists and 21 speech and language therapists in the last three years have been given these permits.

Micheál Martin (Cork South-Central, Fianna Fail)
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How many occupational therapists?

James Geoghegan (Dublin Bay South, Fine Gael)
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There were 62 occupational therapists and 21 speech and language therapists. Obviously, this is a process that has worked very successfully for nurses and midwives where we recruit up to 1,000 internationally every year. Is this something the unit could look at and we could expand on further?

Paul Murphy (Dublin South West, Solidarity)
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On Friday parents of children with additional needs were forced to sleep outside the Department of Education to try to fight for appropriate school places for their children. Earlier that day, the Government announced 254 new special classes in schools. That is much less than the 400 that had been promised. However, when you delve into the detail there are not even 254. I have correspondence with multiple schools saying these classes effectively do not exist. One school said they were in discussions with the NCSE about the establishment of a special class but as it stands, they had received no support to make it happen. They requested the announcements would not be made so that children would not be disappointed. They do not need spin – they need places. That means buildings, teachers and SNAs.

Ruairí Ó Murchú (Louth, Sinn Fein)
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There are huge issues in disability. This has already been spoken about in relation to the parents having to involve themselves in that kind of outdoor protest and the section 39 workers are balloting for strike action. I want to talk about the interim October 2024 CDNT workforce report and the 529.77 whole-time equivalent positions which are unfilled.

When that report is finished, obviously there will be a plan for filling that gap, but if an audit is carried out and we fill all those positions, it is likely we will be able to deliver on the need that is out there. The Taoiseach has often said he believes in the school inclusion model. We require an holistic school inclusion model. When is that going to happen?

Ruth Coppinger (Dublin West, Solidarity)
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It has been a year since the fateful referendum on disability, where disabled people chose to organise against that referendum to bring home the State's responsibility. What has the Taoiseach done in that year? I will just mention my own local area because of time constraints. Danu special school, the only special school in all of Dublin West, promised places to students for September 2024. Those students are still sitting at home right now. They were meant to start school last September but the building work has not started. This is what is happening with the Taoiseach's Government. It is pretending that places exist and the buildings have not even been built. There are no buildings, teachers or SNAs. I checked and a soil site investigator went there for a little visit yesterday. There is still no sign of those buildings. When will those children with intellectual disabilities and autism start school?

Rose Conway-Walsh (Mayo, Sinn Fein)
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The unit within the Taoiseach's Department must deliver tangible results, not least for scoliosis patients who have been let down. Sixteen-year-old Mikey Henry is a scoliosis patient. I have approached the previous Taoiseach, the previous Minister for Health and the current Minister for Health and there is no response. All I am asking for, and all Mikey Henry's parents are asking for, is an opinion from a spinal specialist who deals with specific complex care along with having respiratory expertise, either in Ireland or abroad. Will the Taoiseach facilitate that for this child, who has been failed by the system? He is a scoliosis patient who was ready for an operation but, due to the delays, he has been let down time and again.

Micheál Martin (Cork South-Central, Fianna Fail)
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What is the delay? Is he seeking an opinion?

Rose Conway-Walsh (Mayo, Sinn Fein)
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A second opinion, yes, please. That is all.

Micheál Martin (Cork South-Central, Fianna Fail)
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Who is seeking the opinion?

Rose Conway-Walsh (Mayo, Sinn Fein)
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The parents for their child, just to see if there is anything that can be done before things get too bad.

Ivana Bacik (Dublin Bay South, Labour)
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The Taoiseach has acknowledged the system is not delivering for children with additional needs who require particular provision in the school system. Indeed, I joined a group of over 50 parents, and some children and grandparents, who resorted to a 24-hour sleepout last Friday in front of the Department of Education. I heard some harrowing stories there from parents and grandparents, including some who live in my constituency. I am so well aware that even where their children are able to access a suitable school place, they often have to be bussed out of their community, from Dublin 4 out to Dublin 15, for example, because there is simply so little provision of local places. When will the Taoiseach be able to say that any child who needs a particular school place or particular therapies will get access to that? What about the more than 14,000 children who are waiting for an assessment of need?

Cian O'Callaghan (Dublin Bay North, Social Democrats)
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I recently met the campaign group Access for All and one of the issues they raised with me was how the housing crisis is affecting disabled people in particular. As the Taoiseach will be aware, the Ombudsman has said that more than 1,200 disabled people under the age of 65 are living in nursing homes. Nursing homes are a completely unsuitable setting for younger people. It affects their independence and mental health. What is the Government doing to address the scandal of the 1,200 disabled people under the age of 65 living in nursing homes?

Erin McGreehan (Louth, Fianna Fail)
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Right across the disability sector, there are huge problems. Will the Taoiseach's committee look at a full implementation of the laws in this country under the United Nations Convention on the Rights of Persons with Disabilities, UNCRPD, and also under our public sector duty? I do not know of even one court case taken since the Irish Human Rights and Equality Commission, IHREC, was established in 2015 that relates to the public sector duty. When we are looking at reforming the system and making better the lives of people with disabilities, we should look at actually implementing the laws we currently have. Will the committee also look at eliminating the means test for carers faster than is envisaged in the programme for Government? It should also consider the fact the system is so rigid that it is making people more disabled.

Pádraig O'Sullivan (Cork North-Central, Fianna Fail)
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I thank the Ceann Comhairle for letting me in again. I raise the issue of child and adolescent mental health services in Cork. In response to a parliamentary question I asked two weeks ago, which might give an indication of how bad things are, I was told that in 2020, 435 people aged 18 years or under were on the waiting list; in 2021, there were 645; in 2022, there were 901; in 2023, there were 1,362; and, unfortunately, in 2024, there were 1,905. Clearly, things have spiralled in the wrong direction over a number of years. At what point does this become a crisis in local psychiatric services in Cork?

Micheál Martin (Cork South-Central, Fianna Fail)
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Deputy Geoghegan raised the first issue, which was an interesting point, relating to the recruitment of therapists, particularly from overseas. This was raised at our initial meeting between Ministers last week. Perhaps we need to engage with CORU on this. Historically, although I am not sure whether this is the case here, regulatory bodies can have fairly rigorous criteria for professionals coming in from overseas. That needs to be examined because the figure is too low. We have been in a position to recruit people from overseas in many disciplines, not just in health but across the board, and that figure is far too low, in my view. Why it is so low needs to be examined. When just 21 speech and language therapists have been recruited over three years, there is something wrong there.

To respond to Deputy Murphy, again the budget has provided for 400 new special classes and 300 new special school places. There has been huge growth, as the two most recent censuses have shown, when we look at the difference between the two in terms of the number of people identifying as having disabilities, and particularly children with additional needs. About 209 of those 400 new special classes have already been sanctioned for the 2025-26 school year, beginning in September, so there is every chance that those 400 new special classes will be approved. I know the Minister of State, Deputy Michael Moynihan, is working flat out engaging with all the various stakeholders and the NCSE to make sure every child will have a place next September, along with the Minister, Deputy McEntee. Five new special schools have been established already for the 2025-26 school year in counties Cork, Dublin, where there are two new schools, Monaghan and Tipperary. The NCSE will continue to assess what additional provision is required in local areas and what schools have capacity to accommodate the required provision.

We also need to look at legislation. The existing legislation is not strong enough, or certainly should be proactively followed through. Every school should be proactively accepting children with special needs, both at primary and at post primary. Post primary is not as strong as primary at accepting children into schools and that is not good enough. We have a Constitution. Every child is entitled to an education and there should be no question but that schools take in children in their locality, and they should be proactively seeking facilities. Some are doing so, but on the second level side it has been too slow. We are going to examine that again and, in my view, we have work to do. Up to now, the NCSE has been endeavouring to persuade schools and work with them, but I do not think that is enough, given the numbers who are seeking places. Every child should know, certainly by May or April, whether they will have a place for the following September. It is now March, and we still have an opportunity to sort out a lot of cases coming our way that need resolution.

Deputy Ó Murchú asked about section 39 workers. That is, I hope, with the Workplace Relations Commission-----

Ruairí Ó Murchú (Louth, Sinn Fein)
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My main question was about the workforce report for the CDNTs and about the school inclusion model being the solution the Taoiseach has often spoken about.

Micheál Martin (Cork South-Central, Fianna Fail)
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Yes, a therapy-based service is being worked on. At our meeting, we gave the green light for that and asked the Department of Education to prepare to, we hope, commence it this September, if we can get the Estimates right and so on. It was not provided for in the previous budget because the pilot scheme had been initiated under the auspices of the Departments of Health and children, but that has not worked out. Therefore, I think we are going full on with a school-based therapy service, for special schools in the first instance.

Deputy Coppinger raised the referendum and a special school, Danu. She said a new building that is required was expected by September 2024. I will follow that up and come back to the Deputy.

Deputy Conway-Walsh raised the issue of a scoliosis patient. It seems, from what she suggested, that an opinion has been given but the patient's parents are seeking a second opinion. Will the Deputy give the details of the case to me? Obviously there should not be an issue with the family being facilitated with a second opinion. In complex cases, consultants may have different perspectives and a child or a family can benefit from a second opinion. If the Deputy sends the details of the case to me, we will follow up on it.

Further questions related to access to schools and so forth. Deputy Bacik spoke on that issue.

Ivana Bacik (Dublin Bay South, Labour)
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Yes.

Micheál Martin (Cork South-Central, Fianna Fail)
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We are working to see if we can ensure places for children next September.

I agree with Deputy Cian O'Callaghan that nursing homes are not suitable for young people who have a chronic illness or a significant disability. My understanding is that the number had come down in recent times but I will speak to the Minister for Health and the Minister of State with responsibility for nursing homes with a view to seeing what we can reduce and eliminate that.

I did not fully get what Deputy McGreehan spoke about, the public sector-----

Erin McGreehan (Louth, Fianna Fail)
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The public sector duty and the Irish Human Rights and Equality Commission.

Micheál Martin (Cork South-Central, Fianna Fail)
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In terms of its obligations.

Erin McGreehan (Louth, Fianna Fail)
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Yes.

Micheál Martin (Cork South-Central, Fianna Fail)
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We discussed that last week. The public service must do far better than it is doing. There is no question about that. There must be proactivity within the public service, particularly on the employment front. We are not employing enough people with additional needs in our public service. The Deputy spoke about the means test. We will work on that, with the Minister for Social Protection in particular, but that is a budgetary measure for next September.

Deputy O'Sullivan spoke about CAMHS in the south west. It is a very serious issue and we will follow through. I make the point more generally that huge resources are being allocated to these areas. We need to examine how those resources are being deployed, what methods are being used and policies and so on because the growth in health spending has been phenomenal in the past four years. The population has grown and I get that. The level of need has grown; that is without question. We have to be a bit more forensic in looking at value for money side of it and whether we are using the best mechanisms and methods to help people.