Resources in child disability services slammed by TD

A Cavan-Monaghan TD has strongly criticised the Government's support of disability assessment services in the region, stating that the shortage of resources risks creating a two-tier system whereby some children being referred may fail to be seen.

'The danger with the lack of resources in Cavan-Monaghan is that Enable Ireland, as the service provider for children up to the age of six, could become an assessment service only and would not be in a position to provide the interventions and the services we all want to see provided for the children,' Fianna Fáil's Brendan Smith said in the Dáil last week.
Addressing Minister of State for Disability Issues, Finian McGrath, Deputy Smith was referring to services provided by Enable Ireland for children up to age six and by the HSE's child development team for children aged from six to eight in Cavan-Monaghan.
Armed with representations from concerned parents of children with a disability, particularly autism, and stats that there are more than 70 children awaiting ASD diagnosis locally, he said that delayed assessment, intervention and service provision for children at the formative time in their lives is simply 'not acceptable'.
The efforts of local services are being hampered further still by the fact there is said to be one whole-time equivalent psychologist post to meet the needs of 420 children across Cavan-Monaghan.
He also pointed out that the number children aged up to six years of age presenting to Enable Ireland has more than doubled since 2008, indicating a greater demand for the services and need for the additional resources for the local area.
'All of us through our ongoing constituency work meet parents who are utterly frustrated. Neither the family development team with the HSE nor Enable Ireland is able to advise parents of when assessments will be carried out and this is adding to the difficulties and concerns of parents.'
Responding, Deputy McGrath assured the Deputy that the Government is committed to the provision and development of services for children with special needs and to improving access for children to assessments and therapy services, 'in so far as is possible, within available resources'.
He said however, that 'unfortunately', there are staff shortages in a number of disciplines, despite much effort going into filling these posts, but accepted that the demand presently 'continues to outweigh current capacity'.