Caít Keane (Fine Gael) | Oireachtas source

I welcome the Minister of State, Deputy Kathleen Lynch. The purpose of the motion this evening is to bring to her attention the situation concerning the Dyspraxia Association of Ireland, which is this country's only charity providing vital support for people with dyspraxia. That is in the absence of any unified position from the HSE. The association depends heavily on volunteers, with the exception of one part-time member of staff, namely, the development officer. The retention of this part-time position is vital for the continuation of the service. Due to the depleted financial situation of the association, the development officer will be made redundant on 15 November, in two days’ time. The fantastic service that has been provided by the development officer and the volunteers will no longer exist.

Could the Minister of State indicate what could be put in place to assist the Dyspraxia Association of Ireland so that it can continue to provide this vital service? As she is aware, dyspraxia is a lifelong neurological disorder which affects cognitive ability and causes difficulty in planning and carrying out sensory motor tasks. It affects up to 6% of the population, which is a considerable amount, up to 2% of them severely. A total of 5% to 6% of children aged between five years and 12 years are affected by dyspraxia. Boys are three times more likely to be affected than girls. It can affect all areas of development – intellectual, emotional, physical, language, social and sensory - and impairs a person’s normal process of learning. Some of those children are very intelligent but because of the effects of the condition they are hindered.

The condition is formally recognised by international organisations, including the World Health Organization. Occupational therapists, psychotherapists and the provision of extra help at school can all help a child with dyspraxia to cope and overcome many difficulties. Awareness of the condition in this country is extremely poor, which means that people with dyspraxia and their parents or carers struggle to get the condition identified in the first instance and they find it very difficult to access the help and support they require. There is no cure, but early intervention, in particular, is important. Could the Minister of State indicate why the HSE does not refer people to the Dyspraxia Association of Ireland so that early intervention can take place? The association addresses the problem, raises awareness and provides a telephone helpline to people who are left out on a limb due to long waiting lists. In some cases people have had to wait for two years without any help or contact. The Dyspraxia Association of Ireland can step in and provide support, mostly on a voluntary basis, and increase awareness. The HSE provides a direct therapy service and there is currently a long waiting list of 18 months to two years for any intervention or occupational therapy. A study by Dr. Madeleine Portwood in 1997 at the Deerbolt Young Offenders' Institute showed that 61% of juvenile prisoners showed symptoms of dyspraxia ranging from mild to severe. She concluded that early identification would reduce the number of young people who have become school failures and feel that life has nothing left to offer them.

Early identification, as the Minister of State knows, is of key importance. We must identify and then help the people concerned. The doubly disadvantaged study concluded that children, young people and adults with dyspraxia were significantly at risk of becoming socially excluded. We all know the problems that such social exclusion can bring. In that context, I ask the Minister of State why the HSE does not, as a matter of course, interlink with the Dyspraxia Association of Ireland? The association cannot do all of the necessary work on its own and people cannot be left for one year or 18 months without help. I ask the Minister of State to set up a meeting with the association in order that it can show her evidence of what it has achieved to date with very little funding. The association is dependent on corporate and individual donations and has set up an online donations facility to try to deal with its depleted financial resources. Services will no longer be provided by the association in two days time. I, therefore, ask the Minister of State to intervene. I am aware that the HSE in County Louth, working with the association, intervened recently on behalf of 40 people with dyspraxia. That could be used as a template for the future. The association is not looking for much funding. A sum of €70,000 or €80,000 would help considerably. I know that there is some national lottery funding in HSE coffers and perhaps some of it might be used. My plea is urgent and I ask the Minister of State to intervene.