Yet again, we hear that the Government is not opposing the motion. We have heard it before. No matter how many times Sinn Féin and the combined Opposition bring forward motions, no matter how many days of school are missed by Cara Darmody, who is literally weathering a storm outside the gates of this House tonight, the Government still does not get the message and is still breaking the law. We are in a crisis in the disability services. In my own area of Kildare South, nearly 2,000 children are waiting, a figure that has risen 7% since the summer. No children in Kildare have their assessments of need completed on time. The average waiting time is a shameful 27 months, and the list is getting longer every quarter. We know that the AON is only the beginning. Once it is completed, the long and painful battle for therapy starts. In south Kildare, we have an ineffectual CDNT that is simply unable to meet the needs. Due to failed policy, families who are already put to the pin of their collars are forced to pay thousands of euro for private therapies that should be a given. In primary care, waiting times for psychology are staggering. Children will have grown up before they even get an appointment. Across the State, far too many children are still without an appropriate school place. The system is utterly broken, yet we are still operating as if it is business as usual. We are in a crisis. When will the Government start acting like it? Where is the emergency action? We have qualified therapists in the State today, people who are ready and willing to practice, but the Minister will not fast-track their entry into the system. Disabled children and their families are being treated with utter disregard. This has to change. Ní chuirfidh muid i Sinn Féin suas leis seo. Tá an rún atá os ár gcomhair soiléir. Teastaíonn infheistíocht radacach agus plean uaillmhianach chun fórsa saothair dhóthanaigh a sholáthar ar bhonn práinneach. Cuirimis an scéal seo i gceart. Tá sé de dhíth ar na gasúir atá ag fanacht.

Sentiment score: -0.18