Marie Sherlock (Labour) | Oireachtas source

I wish my fellow Senators and all those who are watching a happy International Women's Day. I second the proposed amendment to the Order of Business that the Quality in Public Procurement (Contract Preparation and Award Criteria) Bill 2021 be introduced.

Most of us, as public representatives, are familiar with the appalling waiting list for speech and language therapy services, the absence and huge under-supply of child psychologists in our public health system and the long waiting list for early intervention assessments. In some instances families in north Dublin city are waiting up to four years. I understand the HSE is trying to reconfigure and centralise its services for children with complex needs and that it is trying to bring those individual services together into area based network teams. For the most part, I hope it will bring about a better service and will be successful in the reconfiguration.

However, I am deeply alarmed and concerned by what is about to happen to the Holy Family School for the Deaf Cabra, an area in which I am based. The school is about to lose its on-site specialist speech and language therapy service as a result of the changes to the progressing disability strategy. The service is integral to the delivery of education and the development of children in this school. Some 54% of the school's 140 pupils rely on speech and language therapy service.

What will happen when that specialised speech and language therapy service is lost? There will be increased cost for the HSE because of additional interpretive services every time a child from that school has to get speech and language therapy services. School days will be lost because children must travel from as far as counties Longford and Meath and other areas across the greater Dublin area to attend this school. I want the Leader to ask the Government if it is acceptable this school and another school for the deaf will be forced to lose their on-site specialist speech and language therapy service. What message does it send to a system already creaking at the seams in trying to provide services to children with additional educational needs?

I ask that the Minister with responsibility for disability be brought to the House and, more particularly, that the Leader conveys the concern to Government. It is not just about health; it is about education.