Laois waiting times for assessment of special needs 'scandalous'

The waiting times for families to get an assessment of special needs has been described as 'scandalous' by a Laois TD who raised the plight of a local mother in the Dáil this week. 

Independent Republican TD Brian Stanley said the Government is failing in its legal obligations with 15,296 children overdue their assessments.

"In Laois, the waiting times to get an assessment of need are absolutely shocking. Aileen, a mother, is just one of many people who have contacted me on this. She waited for years to get her son an assessment of need and then had to go private for it. They had to pay, and they had to have the assessment of need and then a multidisciplinary assessment, which in total cost €2,000.

"For the past six years, Aileen has been paying privately for therapies. Her son got just four short sessions in the six years. She paid for all the other sessions. Her second child, her daughter, has been on a waiting list since 19 September 2023 and has not yet been called for an assessment of need. Aileen cannot get a reply by either telephone or email as to when she may get one. This is part of what parents are up against. They are left in the dark. There are just no answers. Sandra is another parent I have dealt with. Her first daughter was on a waiting list for a year and a half before getting an assessment of need. Her other daughter was put on a waiting list on 12 August last year and Sandra has not received any information whatsoever since then as to when she may be called or whether she will be called.

"Assessment of need appointments, of course, are only the start of it. Once the assessment of need is done, the assessor has to do a report, they have to pass it on to a liaison officer, a service plan has to be drawn up and the liaison officer is then supposed to arrange the delivery of services. This is where it really gets difficult because next you have to do battle to try to get these sessions."

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Deputy Stanley said the level of staffing in Laois for occupational therapy is at only 33%, speech and language therapy is at 46%, and physiotherapy is at 50%. 

"Therapy assistance is at zero. Dietetics is at zero. Behavioural therapists - this is incredible as this is one of the most important positions on the team - are at zero. They are not there. The service just does not exist," said Deputy Stanley. 

"What is happening in County Laois, therefore, is that parents are being offered group sessions where parents are brought in. That is fine and dandy, and group sessions may have a role. That is being offered in nearly all cases, from what I can find out, but there are no services for the child - none whatsoever. Laois Offaly Families for Autism and other voluntary groups are filling the gaps as best they can. They pay 50% of the cost of the therapies and the parents pay 50%. It is a stopgap solution. LOFFA tells me it spent €38,000 last year on matching funding to try to do this. This is not acceptable."

Deputy Stanley called on the government to take emergency action and make funding available to address the issue.