Fintan Warfield (Sinn Fein) | Oireachtas source

I welcome the Minister of State to the House. On behalf of Sinn Féin, I commend my colleague, Senator Clonan, not only on bringing this Bill before the House but also on all his tireless work on disability issues.

People with additional needs, their families, friends and communities have been failed by the State for a long time now, yet we are one of the richest countries in the world. What is our vision for our country? Is it a society in which all citizens, including those with additional needs, are offered equal access and equal opportunity or is it something else? In Sinn Féin's view, this Bill represents an important first step in ensuring people with additional needs have access to assessments, services and the support they need. I thank Senator Clonan for allowing me and my colleagues the privilege of co-signing the Bill.

As the Ombudsman and Senator Clonan have said, one of the problems that needs to be addressed is recruitment. The most recent HSE staff census and workforce review published in February 2022 highlighted a staff vacancy rate of 34%. That amounts to 707 vacancies and an increase of almost 10% on the previous 12 months. We do not have the figures for last year yet.

In budget 2024, the Government announced an allocation of approximately €11 million to address waiting lists for clinical assessments. We were told this funding would be utilised to procure diagnostic ASD assessments from the private sector. Almost a year later, we are still waiting for this to be rolled out to parents. If the Government is serious about addressing this issue, it must address the crisis in recruitment and retention. That begins with ensuring these commitments are honoured. The time to support people with additional needs is now.It is time for the Government to step up to the plate, invest in disability services and honour the commitments it has made. I ask everyone in the House to support this Bill so that we can build a more just, inclusive and equal Ireland. I commend Senator Clonan and welcome all of our guests to the Houses of the Oireachtas.