Éamon Ó Cuív Warns of Crisis in Disability Services
Éamon Ó Cuív spoke about a crisis in the disability sector, saying essential services are unavailable and funding remains inadequate. He criticised the government's reliance on reviews and dialogue as 'busy inaction' that buys time without delivering services.
Service shortfalls
He said people cannot get assessments, cannot get the psychological services that young people need, cannot get respite and in very extreme situations cannot even get residential care - a situation he described as a huge challenge.
Funding and standards
He argued that higher standards are desirable and that more people are living longer with more complex needs. Therefore more money is needed merely to stand still, and even where more funds are announced they remain inadequate for the services being provided.
Process of reviews and dialogue
He criticised the government's approach of setting up an independent review group running from July 2017 to 2019 and then establishing a dialogue forum, saying these processes have effectively bought time without delivering timely conclusions. He warned that the dialogue forum would not make conclusions before late spring and characterised the pattern as buying years of inaction.
Public impact and accountability
He said the public are not fooled by a process of constant dialogue and no action, and that when there is not enough money for basic services people know the policy is not working. He called for real delivery rather than the appearance of being busy.
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I'm glad to have an opportunity to speak on this subject. The first thing we have to recognise is that there's a crisis in the sector, the services aren't available, there are people coming who can't, as has been said, get the assessments, can't get the psychological services that young people need, can't get respite and can't, in very extreme situations, even get residential. And this is all a huge challenge. Now, the second thing we have to recognise is we want higher standards in the disability sector, we all agree on that. You talked about that yourself. There are a lot more people living a lot longer with a lot more complex needs. And therefore, more money is needed to stand still. So when you say you're giving more money, it still is not adequate to the services that are being provided. Now, another point I'd just like to focus on is the response of this government to everything. Is how can we get as many years out of inaction as possible, but appearing to be busy. Busy inaction, I call it. So you set up the independent review group. And that runs from July 2017 to 2019, and you've now bought two years. And this goes right across everything in government. This is how you deal with things. Then, having gone that far, so you've two years done, you set up the dialogue forum. And we're now into the 2nd of December, 1919. And of course, you know, that that's not going to make any conclusions before late spring of this year, and you've bought time to get over the line. Well, I don't think the people are fooled by this process of constant dialogue and no action. When there's not enough money for the basic services they need, they know that your policy is not working. And a strong interest of things, and you know that your policy is not going to seem to me. Well, it I think, you are the preferable of God, so a very good interview. Thank you, Mr. Struss in portion of this video. Thank you, Mr. Struss. You haven't... Your choice comes with me to stop calling it a foreword. Time to start calling itclamation- and there's a precursor and I'm going in there. That has been Gaming in here for today, I would say thank you. I'm gonna put over. Thank you. Come with me as a followup. When I wrote this video, the excerptly, page three, now, I'll show you over every place.
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