Catherine Ardagh (Fianna Fail) | Oireachtas source

I join in the comments about Michael O'Kennedy and Jimmy Leonard. Michael O'Kennedy had an unbelievable career, one that many of us would be envious of achieving. My thoughts and prayers are with his wife, Breda, and the rest of his family.

I wish to discuss the serious concerns raised in an article by Ms Elaine Loughlin in the Irish Examineryesterday. It set out the challenges that the Minister of State with responsibility for disability, Deputy Rabbitte, was facing in trying to meet nine disability service managers around the country, with the HSE refusing to facilitate the meetings. There should be no reason for the HSE not to want to engage fully with the Minister of State to ensure she is aware of the serious challenges facing many families of people with disabilities. She came to Crumlin last week and listened for hours to parents and grandparents about the pain and hardship with which their families were struggling. They are not getting therapies or services. We listened to some parents of children now in their 30s and 40s who have never received any intervention from the HSE. Other parents looked on, thinking that that would be them in 30 years' time. Their children might be two years of age now and need occupational therapy and speech and language therapy, but they might be in the exact same position as those other parents in 30 years' time, with their children having no services. Some of the parents said that they were 70, their child was 35 and they were his best friends. He had no friends and never received services. They were still waiting for occupational therapy, speech and language therapy and physiotherapy.

That is what the Minister of State listened to. She understands the families' plight, but for some reason, the HSE is working against her. The refusal by the HSE to attend the meetings with the Minister of State is another blow to families. They cannot understand why the HSE is not attending the meetings when the Minister of State is. This comes at the same time as the High Court has struck down the assessment of needs, AON, process over its incompatibility with the Disability Act. Now, the HSE has to deal with 10,000 AONs properly. This is just taking away more therapy hours from children. I want to know why the HSE is not working with the Minister of State. Please, something needs to be done to help these families. The Minister of State is doing her best but she seems to be up against it.

The comments on childcare by Fianna Fáil's leader in the Seanad were important. As all of us have stated, this House needs to be pushing for public childcare because it is not working in the private system. In this context, we must not forget children with disabilities. There are no proper early intervention programmes for preschool children with disabilities. This matter needs to be pushed with the same gravity as we are pushing for childcare for children who do not have disabilities.

We are seeking an update on the summer provision programme. The Department of Education has not given us any information. We are in May now and the programme is meant to run in July, yet we have no update for parents on what will happen. Parents and children are in limbo.