Seán Kyne (Fine Gael) | Oireachtas source

I welcome the Minister of State. I agree with others regarding her passion and indeed the frustration as expressed in her opening contribution regarding the present system which is not working to the satisfaction of families. Families who have special kids are often frustrated. They are very tired at the best of times. It is a constant fight in many cases to get the services that they deserve, and require. I am a member of the Joint Committee on Health, which received an email from Down Syndrome Ireland outlining how families are reporting a complete breakdown in services, with many receiving no therapies, sometimes for years at a time. Surveys show that almost half of families with a child with Down's syndrome, just prior to the pandemic were offered no therapy in the previous year. Those who were offered therapy averaged just five sessions, which is well below that needed for best practice.

Regarding the reconfiguration, Down Syndrome Ireland carried out a survey, which found 95% of people are either unsure about how their services will be affected or believe they will receive a poorer service. They believe there are just not enough therapy posts for the levels of therapy for every child who needs it. They talked about frustration, inconsistencies, staff turnover, short blocks of therapy, long breaks in between, and therapists being absent on long-term leave or redeployed. That is the reality. It is a tale of woe unfortunately, but a reality for Down Syndrome Ireland. I am sure the Minister of State is in communication with all services providers and advocates. It is important to put those facts on the table as well. Her predecessor initiated progress on children's disability services and talked about a person-centred approach, the excessive waiting times for therapy services, and children achieving their full potential, maximising their independence and living rich and fulfilling lives. These are all words. If they can be put in practice and if the improvements and changes can be put in place for the service users, the children, to get the service that they require and deserve so that parents can know what to expect and are not always fighting, although all parents will continue to fight for the education and well-being of their children, the parents will know they will get a service that is deserving of them. I wish the Minister of State well in her role and in the plans she is progressing.