Letter to Tipperary family trying to access services for their baby raised in the Dáil

A Sinn Féin's TD from Cork East has raised the plight of a Tipperary family trying to get an Assessment of Needs for their infant in the Dáil. 

Pat Buckley said this morning, he got a call from the family who received a letter, that their child would have to wait until 2028 for an assessment. 

Deputy Buckley briefly raised the family's story at a debate on a motion on access to autism and disability services. 

"While in the chamber, I received a call, and I will check up on it later, and this one is absolutely bonkers Minister, a family in Tipperary received a letter for their one-year-old child for an assessment of needs, and they have been told the appointment will be in 2028. 

"2028, that's just come in. I'm just telling you how bad the system is," said Mr Buckley.

The motion was put forward by the Labour Party, and many TDs spoke about their experience helping families access services. 

Aodhán Ó Ríordáin said that families of children with autism are being treated as 'second class citizens' and said there is 'institutional hostility' toward those children. 

He said families shouldn't have to put their issues out into the public domain to get help. 

Tipperary TD Mattie McGrath called the figures around waiting lists "stark."

"Children are placed on never-ending waiting lists with no communication and just left to the winds. It's just not fair," said Mr McGrath. 

Mr McGrath said that in south Tipperary, there are 1,100 children between two teams in Cashel and Clonmel, and there are not enough staff. 

"The CDMT teams in south Tipperary are operating on a skeleton staff and it's just truly shocking," said Mr McGrath. 

Sinn Féin's Louise O'Reilly said that no parent wants to have to come to them and tell a TD personal information about their children. 

Social Democrats leader Holly Cairns thanked the Labour Party for putting forward the motion but said it was a sign of a 'failed government policy' that it needed to be brought in the first place.

RESPONSE

Minister for State with Responsibility for Disability, Anne Rabbitte said she has been meeting with the relevant groups in relation to access to children's services. 

She said that her priority has been funding capital projects and 'shovel-ready projects,' those that are currently supporting children. 

However, she said the system as is, is too 'clunky' to deliver services quickly. 

"I need the HSE to move away from what they think is actually working into a more inclusive model of participation in the community," said Ms Rabbitte

She said she will be holding roundtables with providers to discuss respite and residential care, capital projects and 'roadblocks'. 

She said she is frustrated that beds available are not being used, as highlighted in an RTE report last week.

Ms Rabbitte said she has written to the HSE to ask them to provide agency nurses so they can be filled. 

In relation to assessments, the Junior Minister said she and Minister Roderick O'Gorman have a proposal to put in place six regional assessment units.

This they hope will provide the best way of providing an individual care plan to children in need of support. 

"What I will say is if that is not done by August 1, I will take to budget what you have suggested today and that we will fund the families. 

"So, I am giving the time to the HSE to act on that ask, and I am supported by the senior minister on that. 

"Once and for all, we put the parent and the child first." said Ms Rabbitte.