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PEOPLE BEFORE PROFIT have introduced a motion calling for “immediate emergency action on disability and special needs provision”.
Speaking in the Dáil this evening, People Before Profit’s Paul Murphy said it is the “perseverance, strength, courage” of parents to “keep fighting for their children in the face of adversity that keeps this issue on the political agenda”.
The motion noted that over 10,000 children are awaiting an Assessment of Need, while over 110,000 are awaiting essential therapies.
It also notes that over 120 children were without a school place at the beginning of September.
Meanwhile, it highlighted how only 1,028 out of 3,300 primary schools have autism classes, while this figure is 410 out of 710 for post primary schools.
The motion also notes that over 1,000 children with disabilities were without school transport at the beginning of September.
Among other things, the motion calls on the Government to double the number of places available in universities for therapeutic courses and to ensure Assessments of Needs are “carried out and recommended supports and therapies given within the legal timeframe”.
It also calls for “emergency action” to be implemented to provide “appropriate school places for all those who need them now” and to ensure every school has an autism class.
The motion also seeks an additional €2.5 billion in funding for disability payments and services in 2025.
Murphy told the Dáil that “how children with additional needs are treated in this State is a national disgrace”.
“I’m confident that in years to come, a Taoiseach will be sitting over there making a State apology for how these children were so badly failed by the State,” added Murphy.
He also claimed that there is a “lack of fight for the most vulnerable children in our society” under the current government, while the Government “fought for years for the rights of Apple to not pay any taxes”.
In response, Hildegarde Naughton, Government Chief Whip with responsibility for Special Education and Inclusion, said “enabling children with special educational needs to receive an appropriate education is a priority for this Government”.
“Of course, there are very significant challenges, and I want to reaffirm my commitment to continuing to work to ensure that families and schools are supported,” said Naughton.
She said it is “unacceptable” that there are still “some children today who have not yet secured a school place for this school year”.
“While there is spare capacity in the system, the problem is that capacity isn’t always close to where children live,” said Naughton.
And while she said “most schools are helpful in providing special class spaces, a very small number have to be encouraged, and in some cases instructed, to open special classes using legislative powers”.
Such legislative powers were used twice this year.
Meanwhile, Anne Rabbitte, Minister of State for Disability said “this Government is fully committed to people with disabilities and their families”.
She added that there are “important challenges which must be addressed”.
“I personally know of the frustrations families experience in accessing the services they need,” said Rabbitte.
“However, I want to tell you that the government has listened to the families and is pursuing significant investment and reform as part of the programme of radical transformation across disability services.”
She added that recruitment and retention of staff providing disabilities services is “presenting challenges to the HSE” but that the HSE “continues to explore a range of options to enhance the recruitment and retention of staff”.
“While we have made significant progress over the last five years, I think we all acknowledge how important it is that we continue to develop services so that all children are provided an appropriate level of service,” said Rabbitte.
“The scale of the challenges in this area is well understood by the government and the HSE, however, substantial and concrete efforts are being made to focus on finding workable solutions to improve services and support for children with disabilities and their families.
“I am acutely aware that no one wants to see a child having to wait one year, one month or one day more than necessary to receive the therapy support that they need.”
Elsewhere, Rabbitte said there were 3,393 children on the CAMHS waiting list in July, a decrease of 900 when compared to December 2022.
She added that as of the end of July, 94.2% of “urgent cases were responded to within 72 hours”.
She also noted that this year’s Budget had a record €2.8 billion for community-based disability services.
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About time, someone recognises the hard fight, the pain and suffering that parents go through just to get help for their children.
@Annette: Can someone please get some help down to the fake asylum seekers sleeping rough? The temperature is dropping now, this is not a joke.if worst comes to worst, they might have to head back to one of the many other safe countries they passed through to get here and claim asylum. Can anybody help with this please?
@Mike: How does it feel to blame others for your miserable life?
@Sun Rise: cop on
@Mike: Get help.
@Mike: highjack some other news story, this is about real kids, Irish kids, or do they not matter in your agenda.
Is it not part of the rhetoric, the abuse of kids. You should at least have something positive to say on this issue.
@Anthony Curran: Get help to the fake urges! Exactly what I’m asking for. THANK YOU!
@Mike: I watched the hate last night. I was embarrassed because I came from a poor area. But my family worked hard to move on. The language the hate was disgusting. They kept saying they had rights, so have the rest of us. Making muck of our communities. I know the government is not doing what is right by any of us.
@Sun Rise: I don’t blame the economic immigrants at as lol, they are merely looking for a better life. I blame our pathetic excuse for a govt for taking our taxes and using them to further their own selfish gains. These poor migrants are pawns. Imagine living in a tent in a foreign country where 70% of the population don’t want you there. What kind of life is that? It is actually disgusting what politicians are doing at the moment. But you want to blame me for pointing out the obvious.
@Colette Byrne: That’s the whole point, Collette. Millions of taxpayers’ dosh being spent on scammers, which should be used to look after these kids. Do you get it now?
@Mike: what I get is stupid people believing the far right immegration bull. The money for disabilities has nothing to do with immergration budget.
The programme last night showed the true colours of far right. Didn’t show coolock locals in good light, say many are on first name terms with the judges.
@Mike: In the 1930′s our forebearers stopped the fascist Blue-Shirts and we will do it again, they have no place in Irish society
@Brian D’Arcy: Please explain?
Disgusting that in a country as rich as ours, that everything is in such a state. Housing, health, waiting lists, homelessness, cost of living, absolutely everything is broken. But the lads in Leinster house all having a jolly Aul time. Rotten from the top down.
@Tony Murphy: Jolly aul time is an English thing tony. Our politicians are having the craic. Rotten from the top down,tho.
@Paul Gorry: Cheese us. Give over with the 800 years nonsense
@Tony Murphy: why dont you run yourself in the next election , you seem to have all the answers
@Peter Byrne: Is that your only line, kid? Why don’t you run, yourself? Probably don’t have two brain cells to rub together for warmth. You’re hilarious, poor lost soul.
@Peter Byrne: why don’t you go play with fast moving traffic you dose
I hope the families involved get the assistance they need.
The fight is consent for the parents of these children and the more they fight the less they get from the HSE
Do whatever is necessary.
I take it these folk that are employed will be doing it for free? Or at least minimum wage? After all it’s people before profit. Are they not selling their labour as to make a profit? In the happy happy loo la land of marxist socialism all people are equal. Pity every Irish person covets their ‘few pound’, we would have made good socislists otherwise.
@If you’re: couldn’t wait till the weekend for the few bob Marley’s eh???
@If you’re: Spoken like someone who’s never had to battle for services for their child. Perhaps you should listen back to John Fogarty’s incredible interview on Claire Byrne yesterday and read his article in the Irish Examiner and put yourself in his shoes before coming out with a comment like that.
@If you’re: The “profit” in their name is a reference to gigantic corporate profits, not the meager “profits” of SNAs
A proper motion to call…
I don’t think I’d ever vote for them… but if a gun was put to me head to either go them or the greens that are more concerned with empty cycle lanes and tomatoes growing on window ledges…
I’d sway with PBP all day of the week.
If there is no profit there is no tax. If there is no tax, how do we pay for people?
@AnthonyK: you do realize that majority of governments run budget deficits and central banks continually just print money to survive. create something out of nothing. its been that way ever since the gold standard was dropped 40 years ago. its why you have constant inflation and devaluing of currency. its essentially just a giant ponzi scheme.
@AnthonyK: who’s suggesting no profit?
@Niall English: Interesting point. None of our parties would suggest repudiation of the rules imposed by ECB/IMF/BIS etc. It would mean an exit from all international markets A republic should be in charge of it’s own currency and that currency should be backed by something tangible imo but it’s, unfortunately, a million miles away for us
Reading the comments, it’s clear to see disability in Ireland, has a far way to go, the disrespectful comments on here, on such a topic, is mind-boggling.
Children are regressing because of lack of services, from initial diagnosis to getting a service in early intervention, which could be 5 years, school age, this puts pressure on schools, kids getting no therapies, or random.
@Colette Byrne: we need UNCRPD ENACTED NOW,.
no more bull, this government has proved where they stand on this issue. When Leo said, it’s up to their families to take care of them.
After the referendums failed because they couldn’t get the wording right. 100% of the citizens assembly voted for care to be at the forefront of society.
We are far from inclusive.
We need to do a whole lot better for our children.
All our children.
@jak: You show your ignorance,
With your response,you keep your small uneducated mind in the gutter.
So people from working class areas can’t be educated enough to have opinions, they have to shop in brown Thomas and get their nails done!. No we work raise well balanced children, who think for themselves and don’t follow tin foil, right wing, fools, do you need a hug.
This should definitely be among priority its been put on the back shelf for far too long now,well overdue no excuses.
Stop everything and get those kids sorted.
The main reason a primary school say they can’t open special needs class is because they have no spare classrooms. Almost all primary schools are renting out classrooms to preschools, etc. They need this income to support the school, but why aren’t the Dept. of Ed supporting the school sufficiently in the first place.
Every special class can’t only take 6 children to work effectively. Those children stay for 8 years before moving to secondary. That is 6 places every 8 years per class. We need more special classes opened every year!
My son has been refused a space for the last 2 years, with over 30 applications each year. But because he is 6 in December, I am the one who will be in the wrong if he isn’t in school by then. How this country treats its most vulnerable is a complete joke.
As a parent who has a child with special needs, I’ve had to relocate my family over 300km from my work place, all because I couldn’t secure an appropriate school place for his needs. It was either relocate or allow my child to watch his brother going to school while he sits at home waving goodbye to him. It’s absolutely disgraceful what’s happening in this country and the treatment of its citizens. A bus ticket but no bus, and now trying to condense my work week when travelling back to my workplace. This country reeks of corruption, reckless spending and a gov that can’t even adhere to their own laws & constitutional rights.
have your say