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Irish Independent
27-05-2025
- Health
- Irish Independent
Meath East TD says children's disability services 'chronically understaffed'
Speaking in the Dáil last week, and coinciding with the 50 hour sleepout protest of 14-year-old campaigner Cara Darmody, Teachta Darren O'Rourke highlighted that there are staffing shortages within the region's four Children's Disability Network Teams (CDNTs). He said: 'In Meath, in CDNT 2 covering the Kells area, and CDNT 5 covering the Navan and Slane area, one in four therapist posts is vacant. Figures released to me by the HSE, confirm that to be the case. In CDNT 4, covering the Ashbourne and Dunshaughlin area, it is worse, one in three posts is vacant. In CDNT 6, covering the Trim area, it is worse again - almost two in three posts are vacant, or 62pc.' A children's disability network team provides specialised support and services for children who have a disability and complex health needs associated with their disability. The CDNT supports a child's development, wellbeing and participation in family and community life. 'There is a complete lack of capacity in the system, and it isn't a new development. It is a chronic situation, and it means children with disabilities cannot access the essential assessments and therapies that they need.' "It is simply not good enough. There needs to be an urgency from the government to fill these posts - not just in Meath but right across the state.' Mr O'Rourke added that the staffing gaps also hit primary care services. He revealed that since April 2022, 1.5 whole-time equivalent paediatric occupational therapist posts based in Ashbourne and Dunshaughlin are vacant, meaning there is no occupational therapist in that primary care service. 'It is a natural instinct for a parent to want to get every help necessary for their child to reach their full potential but the services simply aren't there,' the Sinn Féin TD said. "On Assessments of Needs (AONs), the government must stop breaking the law. Instead of proposing to change the law itself, they should invest in children's disability services, ensure we train and employ sufficient therapists to meet the obligations provided for in the DIsability Act. Children need assessments and they need therapies. Government are failing on both counts."
Irish Times
24-05-2025
- Health
- Irish Times
‘No quick fix' for autism crisis as teenager's protest pushes issue to top of political agenda
She brought her books to study for the second-year summer tests next week, and plenty of chocolate and buns – though 14-year-old Cara Darmody can't have had much time for either given the interest in her very public campaign outside Dáil Éireann this week. There was a long procession of politicians, reporters and wellwishers stopping for a word with the teenager who spent 50 hours outside Leinster House this week to protest at the delays in providing assessments of need for children with disabilities and autism, and services more generally. By Thursday morning, after two nights on Kildare Street, she admitted to being exhausted. She got 'a bit' of sleep, she said. Darmody, who is something of a campaigning prodigy, has two younger brothers, aged 12 and eight, who have autism. They have received, says their father Mark, who accompanied his daughter all week, 'almost no services from the State'. READ MORE 'Neil in particular is among the most profoundly intellectually disabled children possible and was failed dramatically by the HSE,' he told The Irish Times. 'He is extremely challenging and violent towards himself, but the HSE still hasn't provided him with behavioural therapy, and he's in an inappropriate school place.' Cara Darmody, who has two brothers with autism, campaigns outside Leinster House. Photograph: Liam McBurney/PA Wire Similar stories were heard all week from advocates and families of children with autism and disabilities. Darmody's protest has drawn attention to a system that is deeply and profoundly dysfunctional. The State is failing some of those most in need of help and, in doing so, is in breach of its own laws. Under the terms of the Disability Act 2005, children are entitled to an assessment of need – a formal process for assessing their disability and/or autism which outlines the services they can expect from State bodies – within six months of applying for it. But the deadline is only met in a small percentage of cases – more than 90 per cent of applicants have their assessments completed outside the six-month legal deadline. On average, according to HSE figures, children are waiting more than 2½ years – 32 months – or five times longer than the legislation allows. What has happened? The waiting lists are not a recent phenomenon. They have been growing for years, though the accumulation has been accelerating of late. And it will, the HSE says, get worse. In a response last week to a parliamentary question submitted by Labour TD Alan Kelly, the HSE said it expects the list of those who are waiting more than six months to grow from 15,000 at present to 25,000 by the end of the year. Such unusual candour from the HSE, Kelly reckons, is a 'cry for help'. [ Government 'all talk but no action' on disability assessment backlog, says activist Opens in new window ] Three things have combined to turbocharge the waiting lists. First, there is the difficulty in recruiting staff. The Government promises to train more therapists but that takes time; all parts of the system report shortages of staff. Second, a High Court case in 2022 found that a system of quick assessments which had been developed by the HSE did not fulfil the statutory requirements under the Disability Act. This has resulted in many individual assessments taking much longer – and therefore fewer of them are being completed. Minister for Children and Disabilities Norma Foley said this week that some assessments are taking as much as 90 clinical assessment hours; the HSE says the average is about 36 hours. As a result, therapists are now spending a third of their time doing assessments rather than providing the therapies needed by children after their assessments. Third, and Ireland is no exception in this, there has been an explosion in the number of children presenting for autism diagnoses. About one in 20 schoolchildren are now being diagnosed with autism – a threefold increase in a decade. The knock-on effects on the waiting lists are obvious. Applications increased from 8,400 in 2023 to more than 10,600 in 2024, a 26 per cent increase. HSE figures for the first quarter of this year indicate that there has been a further 20 per cent increase in the number of applications compared to the same period last year. The delays have led to huge pressure on parents. Many TDs report it as second only to housing in the representations they receive. [ 'Through that nightmare of a tunnel': the long wait for autism assessment in Northern Ireland Opens in new window ] 'There are tens of thousands of families affected by what we are talking about, my own included,' Alan Kelly told the Dáil on Tuesday. 'I deal with this issue every day. In my clinic recently, nine out of 17 appointments concerned issues experienced by people with autism.' People Before Profit TD Paul Murphy has had the same experience. 'The issue of parents of children with additional needs is now definitely the second issue after housing that comes to me,' he said. Some TDs spoke about their own personal experiences as parents trying to get supports for their children. 'Delaying assessment means delaying therapies, supports and a chance of a more equal and dignified life for those children,' said Sinn Féin TD Sorca Clarke, who has two children with autism. 'Parents watch as their children struggle, knowing that early intervention, proven to make a real difference, is being withheld because of inaction and indifference and because the system that is supposed to help is in fact failing them.' Cara Darmody halfway through her 50-hour Dáil protest to highlight disability assessment delays. Photograph: Sam Boal/Collins Faced with the lack of supports, parents – when they are done tearing their hair out – are doing two things: they are taking legal action to compel the State to provide the services to which they are legally entitled; and they are going private, paying for the assessments that the State is failing to provide. Paul Murphy says that 25 families every month are taking legal action. 'I now have a close relationship with solicitors whom I immediately put parents in touch with, saying: 'You can take the State to court for that,'' he said. 'People know that if you take the State to court, you will get your assessment of need eventually,' he said. The private option is not open to everyone. Fianna Fáil TD Catherine Ardagh, who has previously spoken publicly about her family's challenges, said: 'We were lucky to be in a position to pay; most families are not.' [ Government to change law in bid to speed up autism and disability assessments Opens in new window ] The one thing that everyone agrees on, though, is that there is no prospect of this being solved quickly. The Government says it is committed to a range of measures, including legislative change to simplify the assessments, increased funding, hiring new staff, training new staff, clarifying that assessments are not needed for other benefits, and so on. But Minister of State at the Department of Children Hildegarde Naughton told the Dáil bluntly: 'There is no quick fix.' Senior Government officials echo her comment. 'The reality is capacity constraints will remain in the system,' says one. Outside the Dáil, Cara and Mark Darmody ended the week satisfied that they had pulled the issue to the centre of the political agenda but they were left disappointed that the Taoiseach, who met them on Wednesday morning, has not promised to declare an emergency and act accordingly. 'We do accept that they are doing things – we don't buy into the ideology that the Government is doing nothing. But they're not treating it like it's an emergency crisis. 'He [the Taoiseach] was talking about issues around unions – but in Covid we did not say: 'We need to discuss this with unions.' He has evidence from the HSE that this is out of control. How much more does he need to declare this an emergency?' Cara Darmody and her father, Mark Darmody, outside Dáil Éireann. Photograph: Nick Bradshaw Will Cara be back? 'Yes, she has something planned already,' says her dad. 'Something big.'
Irish Times
23-05-2025
- Politics
- Irish Times
The battle of Browne vs O'Snodaigh: Plans to mark Ireland's Norman heritage sparks war of words
Story of the Week The issue of 15,000 children waiting more than six months for an assessment of need for disability and autism services dominated debate in the Dáil in the early part of the week. While there was a combined Opposition motion on the need to improve the situation, it was really brought to the fore by the 50-hour protest carried out by 14-year-old Cara Darmody outside Leinster House . The teenage activist said her motivation stems from the experiences of her brothers, Neil (12) and John (8), who have autism and intellectual disabilities. She accused the Government of being 'all talk and no action' after meeting Taoiseach Micheál Martin on Wednesday morning. The Government has signalled that it will change the law to make assessments of need quicker in order to cut waiting lists. Sinn Féin's Mary Lou McDonald told Mr Martin in the Dáil on Tuesday that the problem is not the law but rather 'Government failure'. The Taoiseach said however, that 'the HSE is not in a position to fulfil the law right now' and he promised a number of actions. These including seeking to train more therapist, recruit more form overseas and also ensure that existing therapists spent less time on assessments of need and more time delivering therapy services for children with autism and disabilities. Minister for Children and Disabilities Norma Foley promised that money would not be a barrier to reforming the system. It seems change will not happen overnight. And as The Irish Times reported earlier this week, the number of children waiting longer than six months for an assessment of need is expected to grow to 25,000 by the end of the year. READ MORE Bust Up It was a battle almost 1,000 years in the making. On one side, the Normans, apparently championed by Fianna Fáil Minister for Housing, Local Government and Heritage James Browne. On the other side the native Gaels, led by Sinn Féin's Aengus Ó Snodaigh. The Cabinet approved plans for Ireland to participate – along with several other countries – in The Year of the Normans – People of Europe initiative. Mr Browne said it would be 'carried out in a respectful, sensitive manner as all historical commemorations must be.' Mr Ó Snodaigh was quick to accuse Fianna Fáil of an 'offensive' plan to celebrate the birth of England's first Norman king William the Conqueror whose successors, he said, subjugated Ireland. Mr Browne's spokeswoman responded saying Sinn Féin was 'completely missing the point'. That's all very well but how does any of this affect me? It is ten years since the Marriage Equality referendum. The proposal to allow same-sex marriage was resoundingly passed through a popular vote. Civil society groups and LGBTQ+ campaigners from David Norris to Katherine Zappone were for a long time the driving force for change. They undoubtedly played a big part in ensuring the success of the 'Yes' side. But all of the major political parties threw their weight behind the campaign as well. Progress on gay-rights over the decades was far too slow but eventually, Ireland's political system got on board and the successful referendum in 2015 has had a tangible effect on people's lives. You can read about some of the lives changed here. Banana skin There are two potential banana skins this week and they are both in the path of Tánaiste and Minister for Defence Simon Harris. The first is his referral this week of the Government's proposals to scrap the State's triple-lock system for the deployment of Defence Forces troops overseas to the Committee on Defence and National Security for pre-legislative scrutiny. Mr Harris has insisted the plans will not affect Ireland's policy of military neutrality, merely remove the effective veto currently held by permanent members of the UN Security Council (UNSC) – like Russa - on Ireland deploying more than 12 troops on missions abroad. The Opposition are vehemently opposed to getting rid of the triple lock claiming it will impact on Ireland's neutrality. There are already rumblings from some quarters of the committee tasked with looking at the so-called 'heads' of the legislation that there is not enough time for pre-legislative scrutiny between now and the Dáil's summer recess which begins in mid-July, which is when the Government is hoping this stage can be completed by. Meanwhile, Mr Harris is to bring a memo to Government next week on the Occupied Territories Bill to ban imports from illegal Israeli settlements on Palestinian land. The Government has been working on its own version of the Bill first put forward by Independent Senator Frances Black in 2018. Expect ructions from the Opposition if the Coalition proposals are considered to be watered down from Ms Black's legislation aimed at banning both goods and services. Winners and losers Northern Ireland looks to be the big winner from the agreement between the European Union and the United Kingdom earlier this week. While Brexit has caused massive disruption, the commitment to work towards a deal to remove most checks on agri-food products into Northern Ireland from Britain has been hailed by Tánaiste Simon Harris as 'a good day' for the North. This week's losers are people caught up in Ireland's private rental market. As Conor Pope reported on Monday rents are now climbing faster than at any point over the past 20 years with the national monthly average between January and March surpassing €2,000 for the first time. According to the quarterly rental report, the cost of renting increased by an average of 3.4 per cent in the first three months of 2025 with the increases taking the monthly average open-market rent to €2,053. As the Government continues to struggle to get to grips with the housing crisis, tenants will be closely watching the outcome of a review of rent pressure zones, and any ideas the Coalition has for improving their situation. The Big Read Political Editor Pat Leahy has a piece on how there is no quick fix to the assessment of need crisis as Cara Darmody's protest pushed the issue to the top of the political agenda. Harry McGee takes a look at what is happening as the political parties deliberate on their approach to the contest to succeed President Michael D Higgins in Áras and Uachtaráin. Hear Here Wednesday's Inside Politics podcast looked at immigration, how the new Government has signalled a tougher approach and whether the reforms are working. Presenter Hugh Linehan is joined by Colm Brophy TD, Minister of State for Migration, Madeleine Allen, policy and advocacy officer with the Irish Refugee Council, and political correspondent Harry McGee. Refugees in Ireland: is the Government getting the balance right? Listen | 44:38
Irish Times
22-05-2025
- Politics
- Irish Times
Taking the spotlight
Sir, – Tánaiste Simon Harris, on Morning Ireland, commended Cara Darmody, a 14-year-old disability campaigner currently holding a protest outside the Dáil 'for shining a spotlight' on disability issues. Does this mean the young girl is doing the work of a Minister, and an entire government department? Perhaps the Minister should take the spotlight from Cara, and use it to do what the State is supposed to do. – Yours, etc, PETER DECLAN O'HALLORAN, Belturbet, READ MORE Co Cavan.
Irish Times
21-05-2025
- Health
- Irish Times
The Irish Times view on disability services: making promises is the easy part
The determination and commitment of a 14-year-old disability rights activist has once again embarrassed the Government over its inability to implement its own disability legislation. The law currently requires that the State provides a child with a disability with a formal statement of their needs within six months of making an application. The target is being missed by a country mile. There are currently 15,000 waiting for more than six months and the number is due to reach 25,000 by the end of the year. A similar campaign by Cara Darmody – who this week staged a 50-hour picket outside Leinster House – led to a commitment by the Government last year of an additional €10 million to the budget for assessments. This time the Taoiseach Micheál Martin and the Minister for Children and Disabilities, Norma Foley, have made a commitment to make unspecified changes in the law which should speed up the assessment process. The Government has also committed to training and recruiting more therapists, saying that money would not be a barrier to reforms. READ MORE If these commitments are met the result should be an improvement in the time taken to carry out assessments. Ensuring that the quality of the assessments do not suffer will be a challenge. But surely not an insurmountable one. The bigger and arguably more difficult challenge will be to ensure the delivery of the services required by the assessment of needs. The organisations that provide many of these services on behalf of the health service say that they are in crisis . The heads of 36 voluntary disability services providers have written to the chief executive of the Health Service Executive, Bernard Gloster, warning of an 'an extreme risk' to their ability to expand services or, in many cases, sustain existing operations. They say that funding has not kept up with increases in wages and other non-pay costs such as electricity. Several of them have said that they are on the verge of bankruptcy and should by law cease or curtail the services they offer to some 80,000 people with disabilities. The fact that so many disability services providers find themselves in this situation, despite the budget for specialist disability services having grown by €1.6 billion since 2020 to over €3.2 billion a year, is worrying. It reflects the difficulty that Ireland and other countries that have publicly-funded health and welfare systems face in getting out in front of demographic trends, such as population growth and increasing longevity. Making politically expedient promises to avoid negative publicity is the easy part. Delivering on them is another matter.
