Annie Hoey (Labour) | Oireachtas source

I thank Senator Clonan for bringing this Bill forward and allowing many of us across the Houses to co-sign it. It is extremely important legislation. We know that the needs of children should be met by the State through the provision of well resourced public health and education services. We also know how vital early intervention is. No one else here could have outlined as eloquently as Senator Clonan did the impact of early intervention, or lack thereof.

We know that too many young children, including Eoghan, are failed by an under-resourced and over-capacity system for assessment of need and the provision of essential reports and therapies, once a diagnosis or otherwise is secured. With the assessment of needs, we know that there is a window of opportunity through which children must be assessed to get, it is hoped, whatever educational or therapeutic supports they need as they progress through childhood.

A 2022 report from the Ombudsman for Children is titled "Unmet Needs". The title says it all. It is a report on the challenges faced by children in Ireland who require an assessment of their needs.The 2022 annual report entitled Falling Behind: Children's Rights in Ireland - what more do we need to say - highlighted significant delays in the provision of assessment of needs and the subsequent follow-on from that. The report of the Joint Committee on Children, Equality, Disability, Integration and Youth on the assessment of needs of children, which was published in February, made 39 recommendations that need to be implemented. This legislation is especially short. It is not onerous and it should not be necessary to kick it back for a year. It is succinct. It hits the nail on the head in a few key areas and I do not understand why the Government is kicking it down the road. However, I was struck by something a Senator stated earlier: pass the motion or do not. That is a poor indictment, coming from a Government Senator, to say that.