Children’s disability services have become so scarce in Donegal that only those who can afford it can access treatment – that’s what the Health Minister was told yesterday as he faced criticism over children’s disability network teams in Donegal (CDNT).
Independent TD Thomas Pringle told the Dáil yesterday how 87% of parents of children with special needs in Donegal stated that CDNT service provision was not adequate.
At the beginning of September, the overall national vacancy rate of CDNTs was at 34%. In Donegal, the vacancy rate was over 40%.
The newly-formed special needs parents network in Donegal has exposed the huge financial burden from the lack of service provision from the CDNTs, with parents, especially parents of children with complex disabilities, feeling they have no option but to access private treatment.
“It is absolutely essential that children get the therapy they need, as those who do not can experience significant regression and pain. No parent or child should be forced to experience this,” Deputy Pringle told the Health Minister.
“However, we are forcing them into this situation because the HSE will not allocate funding for children availing of private services. This means that services are only available to those who can afford it, which is very unfair on disabled people. The HSE, recognising that it cannot get the staff to get the CDNTs working, should support families in sourcing private solutions.”
A survey of 300 families in the special needs parents network found that some 86% of parents in Donegal feel that support to access private therapy would be helpful to them, and families in the region have reported paying up to €400 a month on private therapy.
Deputy Pringle said it was unfair that families are forced into such situations.
“That is completely unacceptable and raises serious questions of inequality,” he said.
“It is in direct contradiction to the United Nations Convention on the Rights of Persons with Disabilities, which was created to ensure the full and equal enjoyment of all human rights and fundamental freedoms by all disabled persons.”
Deputy Pringle also echoed families’ calls for the cross-border health initiative to be extended to incorporate disability services. That could be done as a temporary solution,” Deputy Pringle said, until recruitment takes place.
He commented that the budget that has been allocated for HSE recruitment next year cannot work while a recruitment embargo is ongoing.
Deputy Pringle added: “There may be a record budget allocated for the health services and the HSE but it is a record that will be broken because it has to be broken and because we need more money and more staff to make things happen and to make things work properly. The Government needs to come to terms with that and make things happen.”
