Calls have been made for less talk and more action on reducing waiting lists for assessments of needs and the provision of early intervention supports for children with special needs.
The issue has been plunged back into the spotlight, after teenage disability campaigner Cara Darmody began a 50 hour protest outside Leinster House, to highlight government failures.
Last night teenage disability campaigner Cara Darmody spent the night ‘camped out’ outside Leinster house to highlight long waiting lists for children’s ‘assessments of needs’.
The 14 year old took up her position yesterday, while a joint motion was being debated in the Dail calling on the Government to take emergency action.
Cara said Taoiseach Mícheál Martin still won’t declare the issue a ‘national emergency,’ so she will continue her sleep out tonight.
Figures compiled by Labour show there has been a near 200% increase in the number of children waiting over one year for initial speech and language therapy in the last three years.
There has also been a 170% rise in the numbers waiting over a year for psychology support in the same period.
Labour’s comparative analysis also 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.
Deirdre Linanne’s two year old Jack is among the children awaiting an assessment of needs, as well as speech and language therapy.
Kilfenora native Deirdre says her son is being let down by the system.
Claire O’Loughlin, who is a Speech & Language Therapist working privately in Ennis for the last eleven years says there’s a huge gap between demand and provision of speech and language therapy, occupational therapy and psychology services.
She says the importance of early intervention has long been highlighted, yet efforts to boost the number of college places has remained stagnant, resulting in the shortage of therapists.
A Co-founder the Clare Crusaders insists organisations providing free services for children with special needs should not have to exist, but are in place to make up for a broken system.
Former Councillor Ann Norton says there has been too much talk and not enough action.
You can listen to the full interview here:
