Meeting summary for Together We Are Strong 💝 (03/14/2025)

Quick recap

Karen led a meeting where attendees were encouraged to use the chat and reaction features, and discussed issues affecting parents and their children, including the lack of access to vital one-to-one therapy sessions through the CDNT and primary care services. The meeting also addressed the issue of delayed assessments causing some school places to be unavailable, the lack of services for children with additional needs in Cork, and the need for immediate action to improve the education system. The participants emphasized the importance of having a concrete plan for change, rather than just sharing stories, and called for action from both new and experienced TDs to address these issues.

Next steps

• Karen and Nicole to organize community meetings across North, South, East, and West Cork.

• All TDs present to continue advocating for improved disability services and school places for children with special needs.

• Government to develop a comprehensive plan for addressing the shortage of therapists and improving access to services.

• Department of Education to address the issue of insufficient special school places and ASD classes.

• HSE to review and improve the CDNT model to ensure better access to one-on-one therapies.

• Government to consider implementing school-based therapy services as suggested by Ruairí.

• HSE to address the staffing shortages in CDNTs and improve recruitment and retention of therapists.

• Government to explore options for providing financial support to families paying for private assessments and therapies.

• Department of Education to improve communication and coordination between schools, NCSE, and the School Building Unit regarding autism units and funding.

• Government to review and potentially overhaul the PSN Act as suggested by Eoghan.

Summary

Parents Share Experiences in Meeting

Karen led a meeting where attendees were encouraged to use the chat and reaction features. The meeting was delayed slightly to accommodate latecomers. Karen thanked the TDs for attending and outlined the meeting's purpose: to discuss issues affecting parents and their children. Karen then invited parents to share their individual experiences. The conversation ended with a poem.

Addressing Children's Therapy Access Issues

Karen addressed the lack of access to vital one-to-one therapy sessions through the CDNT and primary care services, affecting 45,740 children. She highlighted the need for immediate and decisive action, including increasing funding, ensuring enough qualified therapists, providing necessary resources, and implementing a policy to provide one-to-one therapies without discrepancies. Karen emphasized that the well-being of children is a human rights issue and called for collaboration to ensure every child receives the necessary support for growth, learning, and success.

School Places Crisis in Ireland

Karen called on parents to share their experiences and concerns about the lack of school places for September. Nicole, the organizer of the Kirk protest, highlighted the issue of delayed assessments causing some school places to be unavailable. She pointed out that children are often not diagnosed until they are 6 or 7 years old, leading to them being placed in mainstream schools. Nicole also noted that the CDNT team is behind schedule due to a lack of staff, which is causing delays in the assessment process. She emphasized that the Department of Education is not acknowledging the diagnoses of children who were diagnosed privately years ago, leading to a crisis in school places. Nicole also mentioned that there are over 100,000 children in Ireland waiting for assessments and therapies, which is a significant issue that should be addressed.

Cork's Childcare Staff Shortages and Mental Health

Nicole expressed her concerns about the lack of services for children with additional needs in Cork. She shared her experience with a manager in the CDNT team who was unable to hire more staff members due to budget constraints. Nicole pointed out that the CDNT team was dealing with a significantly higher number of children than they were supposed to, leading to high case loads and affecting both the staff and the children. She suggested that the government should provide a supplementary allowance for families who cannot access therapies due to staff shortages. Nicole also highlighted the mental health impact of dealing with these issues on parents, some of whom she said were suicidal.

Improving Education for Children With Disabilities

Nicole expressed her concerns about the current state of education and the need for immediate action to improve it. She thanked the local representatives for their efforts and announced plans for a community meeting to raise awareness and discuss the issues faced by parents and children. Kenneth shared his personal experience as a parent of a child with autism, ADHD, and intellectual disability, highlighting the lack of services and support, including the failure of the C and C model, the difficulty in securing funding for necessary interventions, and the long waiting times for assessments and respite. He emphasized the need for better support for children with complex needs and their families.

Parental Support for Children With Needs

Karen and Nicole plan to make every avenue possible for change in 2025. Kenneth shared his heartache as a parent of a child with additional needs, emphasizing the need for change. Leah shared her family's journey with their daughter Bella, highlighting the long wait times for assessments and therapies, and the challenges of balancing work and care responsibilities. Leah called for proper funding for staff, communities, and the CDNT, as well as transparency on where the invested money is going. Orla emphasized that children are entitled to as many nappies as they need, and parents should not be deterred by public health nurses who may not want to do extra paperwork.

CDNT Therapy Services and Community Support

Karen and Nicole plan to organize more community meetings to hear more stories and get the ground moving on the issue of CDNT's lack of one-to-one therapy services. They also express their appreciation for the support of Thomas and others. The meeting attendees share their personal struggles with CDNT's services, highlighting the lack of therapies and the emotional toll on parents. Thomas offers his support and emphasizes the need for a plan to ensure every child has a school place in September.

New TD Pledges Support for Change

Séamus, a new TD since the election, acknowledged the broken system and the need for change. He recognized the extra responsibility on him and pledged his support to work with everyone to bring about progress. Donnchadh emphasized the interconnected issues of school places, therapies, and respite, and the need for continued pressure on the government. He also highlighted the need for more therapists and the challenges faced by those from low-income backgrounds in pursuing this career. The conversation ended with a call for continued advocacy and support.

Support for Children With Special Needs

Eoghan and Ruairí, both public representatives, express their concerns about the lack of support for children with special needs in the education system. They highlight issues such as insufficient class spaces, inadequate funding for therapies, and long waiting lists for assessments. Ruairí, whose son is autistic, emphasizes the need for a more efficient system of delivering services, suggesting that school-based therapies could be a solution. Both representatives pledge their support to parents and call for cross-party cooperation to address these issues.

Healthcare Reform and Therapist Shortage

Karen and Nicole lead a discussion about the need for reform in the healthcare system, particularly regarding therapists and early intervention for children. They highlight the shortage of healthcare professionals, partly due to the housing crisis causing people to leave Ireland. The participants emphasize the importance of having a concrete plan for change, rather than just sharing stories. They call for action from both new and experienced TDs (members of parliament) to address these issues. Karen concludes the meeting by reading a poem about parenting challenging children and expresses gratitude to the attending government officials for their support.