Richard O'Donoghue: Demands faster assessment of need for children
Richard O'Donoghue spoke about delays in assessments of need for children, citing a 15-year-old named Cara and other families affected by bureaucratic barriers. He demanded faster assessments, practical delivery and accountability rather than promises.
Cara, 15 years of age, was highlighted as an outspoken young person supported by her family who slept outside for 50 hours to draw attention to the issue. O'Donoghue read from a private physiological report from his area that cost 1,200 euros and argued a special class or school placement is needed so the child will be ready when the NCSE portal opens in January for September 27th.
He set out how, without an assessment of need, families cannot access home school tuition, ASD Ireland parking permits or assistance support from a dog in some charities. O'Donoghue said that lack of assessment effectively blocks access to essential services and supports for children with complex needs.
O'Donoghue criticised long wait times and bureaucracy, saying "Six months is too long" and calling for concrete action on amendments and improvements. He urged that agreement must lead to delivery, that officials who cannot perform within guidelines should be replaced, and that families are owed real results, not promises.
He described the problem as bureaucratic barriers and urged those responsible to remove obstructive processes. O'Donoghue emphasised that there are people willing to work with authorities to complete assessments of need but that administrative hurdles are preventing sufficient assessments from being carried out.
Case example
Cara, 15 years of age, was highlighted as an outspoken young person supported by her family who slept outside for 50 hours to draw attention to the issue. O'Donoghue read from a private physiological report from his area that cost 1,200 euros and argued a special class or school placement is needed so the child will be ready when the NCSE portal opens in January for September 27th.
Barriers to supports
He set out how, without an assessment of need, families cannot access home school tuition, ASD Ireland parking permits or assistance support from a dog in some charities. O'Donoghue said that lack of assessment effectively blocks access to essential services and supports for children with complex needs.
Demands for delivery and accountability
O'Donoghue criticised long wait times and bureaucracy, saying "Six months is too long" and calling for concrete action on amendments and improvements. He urged that agreement must lead to delivery, that officials who cannot perform within guidelines should be replaced, and that families are owed real results, not promises.
Bureaucratic obstacles emphasised
He described the problem as bureaucratic barriers and urged those responsible to remove obstructive processes. O'Donoghue emphasised that there are people willing to work with authorities to complete assessments of need but that administrative hurdles are preventing sufficient assessments from being carried out.
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Transcript
Assessment of need. Just read it out to you. Assessment of need. Cara, 15 years of age, can see that there's to be an assessment for need. A 15 year old girl has been outspoken, supported by her family, to support her family. 15 years of age. Sleeping outside for 50 hours to highlight something that we should be ashamed of in here that is not there. That's what it comes to. I'm going to read out something to you there from a person in my own area. He has now in writing in his private physiological report which cost us 1200 euros that he needs a special class slash school so he will be ready for when the NCSE portal opens in January for September 27th. In tech he wouldn't be ready if he was waiting for a public assessment. For 2027 he wouldn't be ready. So we have a parent without assessment you can't get home school tuition, ASD Ireland parking permits and assistance support from a dog in some charities unless you have an assessment. So without assessment it blocks everything. That's the problem. Get the assessment done. Six months is too long. Six months is too long and if you have tried to do an amendment to this and make improvements, I welcome it. But by agreeing to something doesn't mean you are going to do it. It is to be carried out. Accountability. Cara was able to tell you from the last assessment that was done that it has now gone up. From the last promises that they said they were going to meet, the list has gone up. So by saying that you are going to do something, the proof will be in the pudding when the delivery is done. I want you to deliver it. Cara wants you to deliver it. All the families in Ireland want you to deliver it. Talk is cheap. It's about assessment of need. And if somebody can't do that within the remit of their own work and the guidelines set down around it, move them out. Get someone in that will actually do it. And there is lots of people that will actually work with you to get the assessment of needs. But the bureaucratic bull that is put in the way to do this is what is stopping enough of assessment of needs. Thank you.