Mums fight for their children

Mothers from across County Meath marched through the streets of Navan on Monday morning as part of the nationwide protest “Enough is Enough” on Child Mental Health and Autism Services.

Joining the march, which took place from the HSE offices on Kennedy Road to the Resource Centre in Johnstown, was local TD Shane Cassells.
The group were highlighting what they said was the “chronic neglect of vulnerable children through lack of resources, appalling waiting lists and the inability of the system to provide basic services for the vulnerable kids.”
A petition with over 7,000 signatures was gathered by the mums who are seeking a reduction in the 18 month waiting time for interventions, treatments and therapies.
One of the organisers Lauren Keogh  pointed out that under the Disability Act, all assessment of needs applications should begin within three months of being received, with all reports done within six months.
“Currently the wait to be assessed is 18 months with no interventions afterwards,” she said.
The protestors wanted to highlight the pressure - physical, mental and financial that such delays are placing on carers and families and the long term implications of denying such treatments, assessments and therapies.
They were asking the Dail to ensure all ministers concerned with health come together to establish a meaningful service with a practical approach and interconnecting services. This service should have a complaints team that deals with complaints in an efficient manner and inform parents and caregivers of their rights and allowances available to them.
They want all monies allocated for children’s disability services accounted for and reports on annual figures for each HSE area.
The group called for continuity of care including a full lifetime care plan for people with disabilities that will extend into adulthood and the immediate filling of posts nationwide where staff have been on leave and not replaced,
They called for a mass hiring of staff nationwide to clear the backlog and to ensure that children with special needs are legally entitled to services recommended by the assessment of needs process.
Lauren says her own 12 year old daughter is currently waiting 18 months to see someone about receiving services for autism. She also has a mild learning disability, physical disabilities and has been treated for anorexia.
“She has been waiting since 2015 for psychological services for her autism,” she said.
According to Deputy Cassells it is “not good enough that these delays are being experienced by families across Meath.”
“There is €14.3billion going into our health service. - where is it going?” he asked.
“There is huge pressure - both physically and mentally - on these families. Enough is Enough. I raised the issues of children with autism and their access to educational services with the Secretary General of the Department of Education when he appeared before the Public Accounts Committee last week.
“Well done to Lauren Keogh and all the organisers of the march and it is now time for the HSE and the relevant ministers to act,” he said.