Brendan Smith: Urgent call for Cavan after-school support
Brendan Smith addressed the Dail to demand immediate progress on after-school, summer camp and Saturday club services for children with additional needs in County Cavan. He highlighted staff shortages at Enable Ireland, cited the positive example of County Monaghan, and urged the HSE and the department to approve a local proposal without further delay.
Brendan Smith called on the Taoiseach and relevant ministers to progress an Enable Ireland proposal for after-school respite and supports in County Camden. He told the chamber parents believe there is local expertise and capacity to deliver the service and that the proposal should be approved promptly.
Smith referenced parents in Camden and families whose children attend the Monaghan centre. He said Enable Ireland and the Children's Disability Network Team - CDNT have been under pressure due to staff shortages, but parents remain convinced local providers can deliver vital services.
Smith emphasised that after-school services, summer camps and Saturday clubs are essential for the education, communication and daily-living skills of children with autism and complex needs. He said these supports are particularly important over the summer months and for long-term development.
A ministerial response acknowledged Smith's commitment and noted there is no current CDNT after-school support recorded, but Enable Ireland indicated plans to apply for after-school respite. Smith said he will follow up with the Minister and press for the application to be progressed without delay.
Request to ministers
Brendan Smith called on the Taoiseach and relevant ministers to progress an Enable Ireland proposal for after-school respite and supports in County Camden. He told the chamber parents believe there is local expertise and capacity to deliver the service and that the proposal should be approved promptly.
Local capacity and parental support
Smith referenced parents in Camden and families whose children attend the Monaghan centre. He said Enable Ireland and the Children's Disability Network Team - CDNT have been under pressure due to staff shortages, but parents remain convinced local providers can deliver vital services.
Impact on children with additional needs
Smith emphasised that after-school services, summer camps and Saturday clubs are essential for the education, communication and daily-living skills of children with autism and complex needs. He said these supports are particularly important over the summer months and for long-term development.
Response and next steps
A ministerial response acknowledged Smith's commitment and noted there is no current CDNT after-school support recorded, but Enable Ireland indicated plans to apply for after-school respite. Smith said he will follow up with the Minister and press for the application to be progressed without delay.
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.
Other speeches
Tego samego dnia All speeches from this day →
Rose Conway-Walsh
Rose Conway-Walsh: Demands central record on Gardaí convictions
Danny Healy-Rae
Danny Healy-Rae: I said 1740, not 1840
George Lawlor
George Lawlor: Demands AI Committee Be Properly Consulted
Gerard P. Craughwell
Gerard P. Craughwell: Ministers Absent at Naval Commissioning
Martin Daly
Martin Daly: Demands action on €8m Roscommon rehab delay
Sharon Keogan
Sharon Keogan: Reject Conflation of Miscarriage and Abortion
Transcript
Thank you Iainn Comhairle. Taoiseach, I raise again the urgent need for improved services for children with additional needs in Camden and Monaghan. Specifically I wish to refer today to the need to provide after-school services including summer camp and Saturday club in County Camden for children with additional needs. As you know Enable Ireland is the Children's Disability Network team in County Camden and due to staff shortages they have been under extreme pressure to deliver the services they want to provide for children with disabilities. I understand from parents that there is a proposal from Camden CD&T with the HSE or with the department to establish after-school services in County Camden. Parents also believe that there is the relevant expertise and capacity locally to provide these essential services. This proposal must be progressed and approved without further delay. Parents with children attending such a service in County Monaghan speak in glowing terms of the importance and value of the supports provided in that centre for the progressive development of their children. These supports are vital over the summer months and at other times for the overall development of children with autism and complex needs and that includes their education, communication and daily living skills. Thank you I can't call it. Thank you Deputy Smith for raising this matter and I want to acknowledge your strong commitment to ensuring that children and their families in Camden who need early intervention and therapy services can access that support in a timely way. Now my understanding is that the CD&T and that there's no after-school support provided by the CD&T. Kevin, however, Enable Ireland apparently advised that they are planning to put in an application to provide after-school respite. So I need to get underneath the bonnet of that and see if Enable Ireland will, in any event, they are planning it says here to put in an application. I'll follow up with the Minister and see if we can get to the bottom of it in terms of getting it progressed.