Mattie McGrath slams autism services over waiting lists
Mattie McGrath spoke on 24 May 2023 about severe delays and staffing shortages in autism and disability services, condemning long waiting lists, poor communication and a 'revolving door' of staff. He welcomed advocates including Cara Darmody and representatives from the Division of Family Carers and criticised senior management and the Department of Health for a lack of accountability.
Key points
Mr McGrath welcomed Cara Darmody as an advocate for children with autism and other disabilities and acknowledged her family and the Division of Family Carers. He thanked the Labour Party for putting the motion down and said the figures presented in the debate were "enormous".
Scale of waiting lists
He said children are placed on a "never-ending waiting list" with no communication and are "just left to the winds." He described the situation as unfair and shameful for affected families.
Staffing and management concerns
Mr McGrath warned of a revolving door of staff, saying therapists and some managers were leaving as quickly as they were recruited. He said CD&T teams in South Tipperary were operating on a skeleton staff and criticised the absence of accountability or response from senior management and the Department of Health.
Family impact and advocacy
He highlighted that there are 1,100 children in South Tipperary between the two teams in Cashland and Conmel. He noted families and advocates have had to raise awareness and funds for resources for schools in Cashfield and in Alfinan, and said parents should not have to come to deputies' offices with such emotional life stories.
Funding and priorities
Mr McGrath contrasted the lack of investment for children with special needs with other spending, saying waste in the health service was "exorbitant" and that money had been found recently for consultants at CUH, Covid-19 responses and refugees. He argued funding priorities must change to support young children with special needs.
We publish thousands of recordings to make Irish politics transparent and resistant to manipulation. Spotted an error? Report it — together we are building a reliable archive of Irish politics.
For Margot and Kate Dolce, I would like to welcome Cara Darmody as an advocate for children, for her brothers and for all children with autism and other disabilities, and later her dad Mark and Catherine Cox at the Division of Family Carers. I welcome this debate and thank the Labour Party for putting it down. The figures stand, you know, this motion are just truly stacked and I don't want to be just repeating what figures have been read out here. It is just enormous and it is just a shame. Children are placed at a never-ending waiting list and with no communication and just left to the winds. It is just not fair. There is a revolving door in terms of staff, with staff leaving as quick as they are recruited, and those staff, therapists and indeed some managers, and then there is no accountability or response from senior management here, let alone the ministers or the Department of Health. We have 1,100 children in South Tipperary between the two teams in Cashland and Conmel, and the CD&T teams in South Tipperary are operating on a skeleton staff, as I said. It is just truly shocking. My late brother was a paediatrician of some renown, and he is dead now for 15 years, God rest him, Eddie. There were huge problems at that stage and the system, but now it has deteriorated so badly. And to have Cara, to come out of her school and sit her leave and set this year, you have all met her, all the groups and parties, but you should not have to do that to raise awareness and to raise funds for very valuable resources for schools in Cashfield and in Alfinan. Please, when are we going to wake up? We can find money. The waste in the HC is exorbitant. Look at the consultants recently in CUH. Look at the Covid-19 we fired money. Look at the refugees we can find money for. And we can't look after our very own children with special needs. Families come, as other deputies said, into our offices. You should not have to come in with those emotions and have their life stories. It is nothing short of disgraceful, and you do not seem to care. It is again. It is nothing short of��� Razor, so you cannot find money. If you are住 and having your children, you should not have to roam. That is something short of your children and your children. Your children are there in the same way. It is something short of a joke. And you should make money and see the children. It is a big deal of钱. It is a big deal of money that is not going in with the young children. It is something short of a joke that you can use for multiple children. The people are just going to be a joke. You know, people are going to be a joke. A joke. It is a joke, and you are watching the children of the children of our children.
Thank you for downloading 🙏
If you publish this material on social media, we would be very grateful if you tagged VideoParliament. It helps us reach more people and keep building a transparent archive of Irish politics.
