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Irish Examiner
18-06-2025
- Health
- Irish Examiner
Assessment of need reform 'not code for taking away the right to it', says HSE chief
HSE chief executive Bernard Gloster pledged reform of the assessment of need (AON) system is not code for removing children's right to this at the Oireachtas Disability Committee on Wednesday. Waiting lists in Cork and Kerry were also raised and he is concerned about long delays facing children there in particular. Families nationally should see faster access to services by October with a 'no wrong door' system in place, he also said. This means if the first service a family encounters is not the best place, they can be referred to a more suitable service instead of starting over each time. Mr Gloster was answering questions on Progressing Disability programmes. 'Assessment of need, I believe, needs reform, that's not code for taking away people's right to it and it's not code for changing the timeline but it has actually become something it was never intended to be,' he said. 'Every single need across public services and across Ireland Inc is now being tagged to assessment of need either because people are led to believe they need it or they form the belief that they'll get something faster.' That's leading to children who really need it being delayed and children who don't need it being put through it. I have concerns about both. Labour spokeswoman on disability, Laura Harmon, said in the first three months of this year 'just 7% of assessment of needs were completed within the timeframes of the Disability Act itself". Mr Gloster said his focus is on 'ensuring that the legislation defines the purpose of the assessment and enables access to it". He is not aware of plans to change the requirement AON should be done within six months of referral. Ms Harmon said of Cork City waiting lists for primary care assessment for autism 'we're seeing 30 months waiting lists'. Mr Gloster responded: 'I have a particular concern about Cork', saying he has discussed with the regional team the need for better focus on children's services there. 'No wrong door' He described meeting GPs during the Irish Medical Organization AGM, saying they talked of how time-consuming it can be to match children to the most appropriate service. 'We're changing it to 'one front door' and there is no wrong door,' he said, saying this will take effect from October. Teachers, parents, and GPs are among those who can refer to a central system for assessment. 'They will decide what's at least the best chance of the quickest pathway for that child to receive an appropriate response. That will include the Autism protocol,' he said. Social Democrats TD Liam Quaide raised delays with primary care, saying this is 'deep in crisis' in addition to stresses facing Camhs and children's disability network teams. For primary care psychology, the waiting list for children is now over 6,500 'and that's for Cork and Kerry alone,' he said. Children might wait four to five years for help and then only get seven sessions, he added. Mr Gloster met 600 staff online this week from disability, primary care and mental health services for children to discuss staffing plans. HSE HR officials set out plans for recruitment to the committee, saying there is a global shortage of therapists and there are plans to increase training places. Read More Cara Darmody: The law breakers are at the Cabinet table
Irish Independent
21-05-2025
- Politics
- Irish Independent
No immediate solution: Mary Regan on growing political problem around assessment of needs
And that was just from the Government benches. Children's Minister Norma Foley got ahead of a combined opposition joint motion on the issue with a press conference that started with the declaration: 'The system is a broken system.' But when it came to what is to be done about it, the minister, and the political system as a whole, are far less certain. Under the Disability Act, children are entitled to an assessment in a timeframe of six months. But that legal obligation is only being met in 7pc of cases. So 93pc of children are not being assessed in the statutory timeline, which was put in place for a good reason: because timely intervention is a vital component in ensuring better outcomes for a child where a disability or neurodivergence is identified.
Indian Express
21-05-2025
- Indian Express
Supreme Court grants anticipatory bail to ex-IAS probationer Puja Khedkar in UPSC cheating case
The Supreme Court Wednesday granted anticipatory bail to ex-IAS probationer Puja Khedkar in UPSC cheating case in which she was accused of submitting fake disability certificates. An FIR was registered against Khedkar in July 2024 under charges of forgery, cheating, violations of the IT Act, and the Disability Act, based on a written complaint filed by the Union Public Service Commission (UPSC). On April 21, the Supreme Court had directed Khedkar to appear before the Crime Branch for questioning on May 2 and ordered the police not to take any 'coercive steps' against her. During the hearing, Additional Solicitor General S V Raju had informed the court that her custodial interrogation was necessary to identify the individuals who assisted her in obtaining and preparing the fake disability certificates. On May 2, she appeared before a Delhi Police Crime Branch team at the Kamla Market office around 10 a.m. and remained there for around eight hours. 'She was asked multiple questions related to the case. She was also requested to submit certain documents,' officials said.
Irish Examiner
20-05-2025
- Politics
- Irish Examiner
Cara Darmody begins 50-hour protest to highlight disability assessment delays
Tipperary youngster Cara Darmody has vowed to "win and end disability discrimination" as she begins a 50-hour protest at the gates of Leinster House. Cara, aged 14, from Ardfinnan in Co Tipperary, said the Disability Act has been "systemically broken" for almost a decade as delays for assessments of needs look set to reach 25,000. Cara was initially motivated to pursue her advocacy because her two brothers — 12-year-old Neil and 8-year-old John — are autistic and have severe to profound intellectual disabilities. The issue of the backlog will be raised today throughout the Dáil schedule, with the opposition backing a Sinn Féin motion on the issue. An assessment of need is carried out to identify if a child, children, or young person has a disability. It is designed to identify their health needs as well as service requirements. Once the HSE receives an application, there is a legal requirement for the assessment of needs to be completed within six months. The number of applications overdue for completion at the end of March 2025 stood at 15,296 — an 8% increase on the figure from the end of 2024. However, throughout the first quarter of this year, just 7% of assessments were completed within the timeframes set out in the Disability Act 2005 and its accompanying regulations. In response to a parliamentary question from Labour TD Alan Kelly, the HSE said demand for the assessments continues to outstrip system capacity — despite increases in activity and commissions to private assessors. The HSE anticipates that, by the end of the year, there could be as many as 24,796 assessments due for completion.
Irish Independent
20-05-2025
- Health
- Irish Independent
‘It's a national disgrace' – teenager to start 50-hour protest at Dáil as child disability assessment waiting list continues to soar
An assessment of need (AON) is carried out to identify if a child or young person has a disability, and is designed to identify their health needs as well as service requirements. Once the HSE receives an application, there is a legal requirement for the AON to be completed within six months. The total number of applications overdue for completion at the end of March stood at 15,296 – an 8pc rise on the end of last year. Last week, the Irish Independent revealed that just 7pc of assessments are being carried out within the legally required timeframe of six months. In response to a parliamentary question from Labour TD Alan Kelly, the HSE said that demand for AONs continues to outstrip system capacity, despite increases in activity and commissions from private assessors. The HSE anticipates that by the end of the year there could be as many as 24,796 AONs due for completion. Cara Darmody (14) is staging a 50-hour protest outside Leinster House from 10am today, against the backlog in the system. The disability rights campaigner will be supported by what she calls her 'coalition of the willing' made up of a combined opposition of Sinn Féin, Labour, Social Democrats, People Before Profit-Solidarity, Independent Ireland, Aontú and others. Cara, from Ardfinnan, Co Tipperary, said the Disability Act has been 'broken' for almost a decade. 'It is a national disgrace and an international embarrassment in how we treat children in Ireland with autism or intellectual disabilities. It must end – right here, right now.' ADVERTISEMENT Cara was initially motivated to pursue her advocacy because her two brothers Neil (12) and John (8) have autism and intellectual disabilities. She said they were 'both failed dramatically by the State' in relation to the assessments and services they received. 'Every single day in our house is a struggle, and my mam and dad often go days without getting any sleep whatsoever.' However, she stressed that her advocacy is focused on the national picture rather than solely on her brothers' experiences. 'There are thousands of children rotting on waiting lists and thousands of families who are struggling and too scared to stand up to the Government,' she said. The combined opposition will bring a motion before the Dáil tonight, coinciding with Cara's demonstration, calling for an emergency fund to clear the backlog and to provide children with the assessments they are entitled to. The Government will not oppose the motion, but will promise to bring in wholesale changes to the AON system. Children's Minister, Norma Foley, is expected to say that legislation will be brought forward this year. Other reforms, including hiring more therapists will be 'progressed as quickly as possible'.
