Michael Collins: Blasts Failures in Disability Services and Transport
Michael Collins criticised failures in disability supports, saying more than 14,000 children await assessment and that many assessed children have not received recommended therapies. He urged urgent action on HSE service delivery, special needs transport, abolition of the carer's means test, and reform of medical certificates for adapted vehicles.
Michael Collins highlighted a constituent case in which a son diagnosed with a moderate intellectual disability had an assessment of needs in 2016 that recommended psychology, speech and language therapy and occupational therapy, yet never received those services. He said the HSE appears to be conducting assessments but failing to deliver the required services and described the situation as unacceptable and in need of urgent attention.
He raised ongoing problems with transport for children attending special needs schools, citing a lack of adequate drivers and vehicles and poor communication to parents about when transport will be provided. He said the issue recurs every school year and sometimes continues during the year, leaving parents afraid to complain for fear of losing transport entirely.
Michael Collins reiterated that Independent Ireland firmly believes the carer's means test must be abolished, calling it a fundamental issue. He argued that carers who provide for the most vulnerable should receive at least basic carer's loans and that urgent policy change is required to prioritise those in need.
He also addressed refusals of medical certificates needed for adapted vehicles, describing cases where people in wheelchairs or with severe disabilities are refused certification. He referenced a court decision that required change within government which has not been implemented, leaving constituents unable to obtain necessary medical certs.
Assessment backlogs and unmet services
Michael Collins highlighted a constituent case in which a son diagnosed with a moderate intellectual disability had an assessment of needs in 2016 that recommended psychology, speech and language therapy and occupational therapy, yet never received those services. He said the HSE appears to be conducting assessments but failing to deliver the required services and described the situation as unacceptable and in need of urgent attention.
Special needs transport failures
He raised ongoing problems with transport for children attending special needs schools, citing a lack of adequate drivers and vehicles and poor communication to parents about when transport will be provided. He said the issue recurs every school year and sometimes continues during the year, leaving parents afraid to complain for fear of losing transport entirely.
Call to abolish carer's means test
Michael Collins reiterated that Independent Ireland firmly believes the carer's means test must be abolished, calling it a fundamental issue. He argued that carers who provide for the most vulnerable should receive at least basic carer's loans and that urgent policy change is required to prioritise those in need.
Medical certificates for adapted vehicles
He also addressed refusals of medical certificates needed for adapted vehicles, describing cases where people in wheelchairs or with severe disabilities are refused certification. He referenced a court decision that required change within government which has not been implemented, leaving constituents unable to obtain necessary medical certs.
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Transcript
Last week it was reported that over 14,000 children are waiting for an assessment of need. One of our constituents has a son who was diagnosed with moderate intellectual disability and had an assessment of needs conducted in 2016. The family was informed that he required psychology, speech and language therapy and occupational therapy. However, he has never received these services. It appears that the HSE is conducting assessments but failing to deliver the required services. This situation is unacceptable and needs urgent attention to ensure that children receive the support they need. Also children with disabilities who have to travel to special needs schools, the lack of adequate drivers and vehicles and the lack of communication to the parents on when they will receive their transport is nothing short of shameful. This seems to go on every single year at the start of the school year and some cases continues on during the year. Parents can not kick up in the fear that they may lose their transport completely. In relation to people with disabilities, I want to reiterate that Independent Ireland firmly believe that the carer's means test needs to be abolished. I consistently emphasise that point in the dog. It is a fundamental issue. These individuals are providing care to the most vulnerable in our society and they should receive at least the basic carer's loans. You know the stories, Minister. You must hear them yourself all the time. Now is the time to change things. We need to put the most vulnerable in our society at the top of the list. Maybe spend less of our time on the worries around the world and maybe it is a bit more time to take care of our own here. Somebody mentioned there in the opposition or the government mentioned as well about the medical cert and I would like to talk about the medical cert too. It reminded me of how many constituents come to me, people that want a medical certificate for a vehicle or whatever, an adapted vehicle and get refused. People inside wheelchairs, and we have consistently said that we are going to make sure that that law changes and that these people are looked after and it is the very same thing. If you went in with no legs and no hands, you will come out and do the cert. Well, who is making this decision? There was a court case about this and a decision was to have changed within government and it hasn't so people still can't get the medical cert. And that respect has to be shown to people with disabilities. I am more from people coming to me. I presume it is happening with you all. I am not the only treaty that people, you know, come in with the frustration that they have to drag their family, people out of a bay and still get refused.