Latest news with #AssessmentofNeed
RTÉ News
20-05-2025
- Health
- RTÉ News
Number of children awaiting speech, language therapy rises almost 200%
The number of children waiting over one year for initial speech and language therapy has risen by almost 200% in the last three years. Figures compiled by the Labour party also show a 170% increase in those waiting over a year for psychology support in the same period. Labour undertook comparative analysis based on data released through a Parliamentary Question to its Spokesperson on Health Marie Sherlock and on HSE workforce reporting. It shows that the increase in the number of staff providing therapeutic support has been a fraction of the almost two-fold jump in demand for therapies and services. Deputy Sherlock has described the figures as stark and "reflective of a broken system that is desperately failing children". Considering the need for timely intervention, Ms Sherlock has called on the Government and the HSE to "seriously rethink" the Progressing Disability Services Programme and the Roadmap for Service Improvement 2023-2026. The Labour Deputy said a fundamental change was required about "how and where services are provided". The Labour health spokesperson said new types of support roles needed to be developed in psychology, speech and language, and occupational therapy specialties to support staff, therapists, and services to provide adequate and timely services. While the "race" to recruit more therapists and ensure their timely registration must continue according to the Labour TD, she said it was "highly unlikely" that Children Disability Network Teams (CDNT) would fill the 529.77 Whole Time Equivalent (WTE) funded posts left unfilled from 2024. Opposition Parties will table a Private Members Motion during Sinn Fein's Private Members time tonight, calling for emergency action on Assessment of Need waiting lists. An Assessment of Need (AON) identifies whether a person has a disability, any health and education needs arising from that disability, as well as what services are required to meet those needs. Progress was being made in reducing the waiting list from 6,058 in the third quarter of 2020, down to 1,718 in the first quarter of 2022. However, in March 2022, the High Court found that the HSE's preliminary assessment approach did not meet the requirements of the Disability Act. The judgement, according to the HSE, resulted in a growth in overdue assessments of need and it acknowledged at the time, that outsourcing private assessments was "challenging" A year ago, the previous Government announced funding of almost €7 million in an initiative to tackle the Assessment of Need waiting list, on top of core funding of €5 m for the procurement of private assessments. The additional funding was to enable the HSE to procure up to 2,500 additional Assessments of need over up to November last year. Assessments of need must be completed within six months of the date that an application is received. However, just 7% of assessments were carried out within the required period. In a statement last week, the Sinn Féin Leader Mary Lou McDonald said children were scandalously left waiting for services and support. She said it was not good enough that 15,296 children were overdue their assessment of need. It is a rise from almost 8,900 children who were classified as overdue for an assessment by the end of 2023. Tonight's Private Members Motion coincides with 1 The Social Democrats have described the current situation as "outrageous". It said the Disability Act is being "flouted as if it were an optional extra – instead of the law of the land".
Irish Daily Mirror
16-05-2025
- Health
- Irish Daily Mirror
Opposition table joint motion as over 15K children overdue Assessment of Needs
Over 15,000 children are awaiting an Assessment of Need required to access services and therapies. The five main opposition parties will table a motion in the Dáil next week to put pressure on the Government to provide these services. An Assessment of Need (AON) identifies whether a child has a disability, the nature and extent of the disability, and any health and education needs that may arise. Under law, once the HSE receives an application in writing, they must start the assessment within three months and complete it within an additional three months. Details from the HSE given to Sinn Féin TD Claire Kerrane confirmed that the number of AONs overdue for completion at the end of March 2025 stood at 15,296. This represents an increase of 8% on the end 2024 figure of 14,221. Some 1,412 AONs were completed in the first quarter of 2025, a 65% increase on the same period in 2024 of 849. The HSE stated that the percentage of these AONs that show 'No Disability' has increased from 15.8% in 2010 to 26% in Q1 2025. They also confirmed to Deputy Kerrane that 3,131 new applications were received in the first three months of the year, a 20% increase on the figure for the same period last year of 2,603. The HSE told Ms Kerrane that a March 2022 High Court case stated that the HSE's AON checks were not meeting the standard required under the Disabilities Act, and it is now required to deliver diagnostic assessments where necessary. Tipperary teenager and disabilities campaigner Cara Darmody will begin a 50-hour protest outside the Dáil next week. In an unusual move, Sinn Féin, Labour, the Social Democrats, People Before Profit and Independent Ireland have tabled a joint motion which will be debated in the Dáil next Tuesday to coincide with the protest. The motion states that children are 'legally entitled to an assessment of their health and education needs' within six months and that 'the law is being broken with respect to the 15,296 children whose assessment of need is overdue'. It calls on the Government to 'comply with its legal obligations' and to make funding available for 'Cara's Fund' to clear the backlog. The opposition has also called on the Government to 'set a specific target date by which the Government aims to comply with the legal entitlement to an Assessment of Need under the Disability Act 2005'. Sinn Féin leader Mary Lou McDonald has said that children have been 'scandalously left waiting for services and support' Deputy Kerrane, meanwhile, stated that there has been a 'frightening increase in the waiting list for Assessment of Needs from 500 in the summer of 2021 to over 15,000 now'. She added: 'Worryingly, the HSE anticipates that this will only get worse and expects that by the end of 2025, there could be as many as 24,796 assessments of need due for completion. 'It is clear that the government still does not have a plan to stop the state from breaking the law and to ensure that children get their assessment of needs within six months.'
The Irish Sun
13-05-2025
- Politics
- The Irish Sun
‘Extraordinary' Irish teen ‘feels compelled' to hold 50-hour Dail sleep-out protest over autism assessments wait times
THE Dail heard how an 'extraordinary' teenage disability campaigner is set to stage a sleep-out protest at Leinster House next week. Cara Darmody, 14, from Tipperary 3 Cara Darmody is set to stage a sleep-out protest at Leinster House next week Credit: Collect 3 The second-year student has already met with Leo Varadkar, Michael Martin and Simon Harris as part of her ongoing efforts Credit: Collect through journalist The second-year student has already met with And last year she secured €10 million in funding pledged by Simon Harris towards private assessments for families who have been waiting for Cara is now calling on the Government to declare the Assessment of Need (AON) issue a national crisis due to the number of children 'being permanently damaged by inaction'. An AON - as outlined in the Disability Act 2005 - is an assessment carried out by the Read more in News The parents or guardians of a young person can apply in writing for an assessment and must receive a letter from the HSE within 14 days confirming the application has been received and a start date for the assessment. These assessments should start within three months and be completed within a further three months, giving a six month overall timeframe. However, the Dail has heard that 90 per cent of assessments were being completed outside these legal requirements outlined in the Disability Act. More than 14,000 children are waiting for an assessment. Most read in Irish News As part of her new action Cara will sleep in a tent outside Leinster House from 10am on Tuesday May 20 until 12pm on Thursday May 22, in a 50-hour protest. The schoolgirl, who has two brothers with severe autism, intends to TEEN'S PLIGHT The teenager's plight was raised in Leinster House today by a number of politicians. People Before Profit TD Paul Murphy told the Dail: 'Over 14000 children are waiting for an assessment of needs. 'The Government is breaking its own laws as 90 per cent of the assessment of needs are not carried out within the time frame. 'We have an incredible situation where a 14-year-old - Cara Darmody - feels compelled to sleep outside for 50 hours to fight for the rights of her brothers. 'She really shouldn't have to and we should have time on the Dail schedule next week to have a joint motion to say that the Government and the State are going to stop breaking its legal obligation and provide the funding and resources to ensure that every child gets the assessment of needs in the time that they need to have it." Responding, Minister of State Mary Butler said she would engage with the Opposition and speaking times for next week. Earlier, Social Democrats TD Gary Gannon described Cara in the Dail as an 'extraordinary young girl', while Sinn Fein's Padraig Mac Lochlainn said he'd work with the opposition to draft a motion to go before the Dail "to deal with this issue once and for all". 3 The Tipperary teen has been campaigning for the Government to take significant action to shorten wait times for autism assessments
Irish Times
23-04-2025
- Health
- Irish Times
‘It's irritating when you hear about there being an explosion of autism and ADHD', says Dublin teacher
'It's a little bit irritating when you hear about there being an explosion of autism and ADHD,' says Audrey Cepeda, a Dublin based secondary school teacher who works with support group DCA Warriors. 'There isn't. It's just people are being diagnosed now.' Not quickly enough, either, she says, after speaking at the TUI conference on Wednesday in Wexford where she called for teachers to ensure their work helping to deliver the educational element of the Assessment of Need (AON) is not allowed to be used in place of that of more qualified professionals. 'We need the correct people to come in to do this work,' she says. 'There are parts of the AON assessment that teachers are the right people fill it out but not for complex cases and they're being used even for the complex cases. 'A teacher should be allowed to say, 'I don't feel I can fill this out', but they're being pressured to do it and some are doing it under duress.' READ MORE Ms Cepeda was one of those backing motions on the issue at the conference. One highlighted the importance of the AON process in enabling students to achieve their full potential but said teachers are commonly being required to complete the educational component when the High Court had indicated they should only be asked to assist. 'I know that there's a huge lack of psychologists. I know the National Council for Special Education are under pressure. I understand that. But they shouldn't be passing that pressure on to teachers. It should be going upwards. They should be saying: 'We need more money. We need more psychologists.'' Ms Cepeda said students, their families and the teachers themselves are all being let down by this way of doing things and the motion from her branch of the union, Dublin City, called on its leadership to get legal advice on what she believes is a conflict between the judgment in the Dawson High Court case on the issue and the circular issued last year by the Department of Education setting out the basis for teachers' involvement in the process. 'The current situation is really not helping the student because, in some cases, things are being missed and that is actually delaying them getting the help they need while the teachers are being put through a kind of guilt trip.' [ Helen McEntee announces 'largest national conversation on education in the State's history' Opens in new window ] Asked about the issue during the visit to the conference, Minister for Education Helen McEntee said the Government is working to ensure more qualified professionals are available to conduct assessments. 'Teachers should never be asked to do the work of what is a qualified professional,' she said. 'What they'll be asked for is a certain part of an assessment that's required based on their experience within their classroom and their knowledge of the child. 'But I think we all agree we need to be quicker at doing the Assessment of Need. And we need to make changes so that can happen.'
