It’s time for the government to finally act on their promise to address the assessment of need crisis, according to Social Democrats acting leader Cian O’Callaghan.
Deputy O’Callaghan said:
“According to the Disability Act 2005, an assessment of need must be completed within six months of the date the application is received.
“Yet, in the first three months of this year, just 7% of assessments were carried out within the required period. This is outrageous. The Disability Act is being flouted as if were an optional extra – instead of the law of the land.
“Every child in this country should be empowered to reach their full potential. It is a scandal that children with additional needs are being left behind during critical early years of their development.
“Successive governments have promised to address this crisis – but those promises have never been kept. Waiting lists are now growing exponentially and more than more children are being failed.
“This abject failure must end, which is why the Social Democrats and other Opposition parties are bringing a joint motion to the Dáil on Tuesday. We are timing this motion to coincide with a protest by 14-year-old campaigner Cara Darmody, who has tirelessly advocated on this issue for years.
“The government must support our motion – and, more crucially, implement the policy changes it contains that will resolve this crisis.”
16th May, 2025