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PEOPLE BEFORE PROFIT have introduced a motion calling for “immediate emergency action on disability and special needs provision”.
Speaking in the Dáil this evening, People Before Profit’s Paul Murphy said it is the “perseverance, strength, courage” of parents to “keep fighting for their children in the face of adversity that keeps this issue on the political agenda”.
The motion noted that over 10,000 children are awaiting an Assessment of Need, while over 110,000 are awaiting essential therapies.
It also notes that over 120 children were without a school place at the beginning of September.
Meanwhile, it highlighted how only 1,028 out of 3,300 primary schools have autism classes, while this figure is 410 out of 710 for post primary schools.
The motion also notes that over 1,000 children with disabilities were without school transport at the beginning of September.
Among other things, the motion calls on the Government to double the number of places available in universities for therapeutic courses and to ensure Assessments of Needs are “carried out and recommended supports and therapies given within the legal timeframe”.
It also calls for “emergency action” to be implemented to provide “appropriate school places for all those who need them now” and to ensure every school has an autism class.
The motion also seeks an additional €2.5 billion in funding for disability payments and services in 2025.
Murphy told the Dáil that “how children with additional needs are treated in this State is a national disgrace”.
“I’m confident that in years to come, a Taoiseach will be sitting over there making a State apology for how these children were so badly failed by the State,” added Murphy.
He also claimed that there is a “lack of fight for the most vulnerable children in our society” under the current government, while the Government “fought for years for the rights of Apple to not pay any taxes”.
In response, Hildegarde Naughton, Government Chief Whip with responsibility for Special Education and Inclusion, said “enabling children with special educational needs to receive an appropriate education is a priority for this Government”.
“Of course, there are very significant challenges, and I want to reaffirm my commitment to continuing to work to ensure that families and schools are supported,” said Naughton.
She said it is “unacceptable” that there are still “some children today who have not yet secured a school place for this school year”.
“While there is spare capacity in the system, the problem is that capacity isn’t always close to where children live,” said Naughton.
And while she said “most schools are helpful in providing special class spaces, a very small number have to be encouraged, and in some cases instructed, to open special classes using legislative powers”.
Such legislative powers were used twice this year.
Meanwhile, Anne Rabbitte, Minister of State for Disability said “this Government is fully committed to people with disabilities and their families”.
She added that there are “important challenges which must be addressed”.
“I personally know of the frustrations families experience in accessing the services they need,” said Rabbitte.
“However, I want to tell you that the government has listened to the families and is pursuing significant investment and reform as part of the programme of radical transformation across disability services.”
She added that recruitment and retention of staff providing disabilities services is “presenting challenges to the HSE” but that the HSE “continues to explore a range of options to enhance the recruitment and retention of staff”.
“While we have made significant progress over the last five years, I think we all acknowledge how important it is that we continue to develop services so that all children are provided an appropriate level of service,” said Rabbitte.
“The scale of the challenges in this area is well understood by the government and the HSE, however, substantial and concrete efforts are being made to focus on finding workable solutions to improve services and support for children with disabilities and their families.
“I am acutely aware that no one wants to see a child having to wait one year, one month or one day more than necessary to receive the therapy support that they need.”
Elsewhere, Rabbitte said there were 3,393 children on the CAMHS waiting list in July, a decrease of 900 when compared to December 2022.
She added that as of the end of July, 94.2% of “urgent cases were responded to within 72 hours”.
She also noted that this year’s Budget had a record €2.8 billion for community-based disability services.
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It’ll grow alright, definitely grow in homelessness that’s guaranteed as of yesterday with the help of the migration pact. Whether the economy improves moreso is irrelevant to most people who regardless of they’re earnings cannot afford rent or a mortgage. The vast majority of younger generation I know of at present working doing apprenticeships or at college, in conversation have told me soon as they have enough saved and college/apprenticeship completed they’re out of here for a future. That is the problem now set to worsen guaranteed of what waffle and spin those clowns in the dail want to put out. The people who keep them in power and are asleep with the ‘I’m alright jack’ approach should hang there heads in shame. We haven’t seen anything yet it’s going to get a lot worse now.
@Paddy C: Spot on.
@Paddy C: What’s wrong with people that have been successful and are financially comfortable protecting their lives.
People who advocate socialism are usually the ones who feel ” entitled ” to everything but not putting the effort in.
I’m all for helping those who are genuinely in need but in this country there are those who take take and take.
@Paul O’Mahoney: yes to a certain extent bug manh working are struggling. People paying heavy rent for example in there 50s/60s face serious problems also. How will they sustain increasing rents when there no longer able to work. Most can’t afford to pay into a pension,I’m one of them with a mortgage going week to week. Haven’t had a holiday in 12 years with increasing costs and little increase to match realistically in the real world. Most are in far worse boats and those are the ones being hung out to dry altogether.
@Paddy C: if you’re so anti migration you should be sticking to your guns and telling those lads they shouldn’t be leaving. The patriots like you in Australia and Canada etc. don’t want them there. It’s gas how people blame their frustrated failures of lives on foreigners.
@Paul O’Mahoney: Where did he attack high earners in that post, I didn’t see it. There are people in Ireland who have more than they could ever need and they don’t care about and don’t believe the hardship being experienced in bottom half of society. They are elitist and they assume that they have material success because they work harder. They can’[t get their heads around the fact that their are huge amount of people in this country who work extremely hard in jobs with very high burn out rates, they are educated and they can’t afford to live without government subsidies. Took me a decades of hard a work and paying for my education to get into the “middle bracket” and now I can see for fact that the “squeezed middle” is an absolute myth. The complaining that people in my wage bracket do is disgusting to me. Most people on my wages are just profligate, physically lazy wouldn’t last two days in some of the jobs I’ve done and they could solve any of their economic woes by consuming less. The bottom half of workers are slowly going under.
@eoin fitzpatrick: it’s not being blamed on foreigners,maybe you haven’t noticed but housing is completely unaffordable and very scarce. So if you can’t house who is here at present quite clearly,how can you house people who aren’t? Wake up man you must have you’re head up in the clouds. They’re are people earning good incomes unable to afford rent or mortgages what do you expect them to do when it’s clearly getting worse and what’s in power is useless to deal with it.
@Sill Scoundrel: spot on
@Sill Scoundrel: The ” I’m alright Jack” reference.
I was hoping to get some wisdom from your post but it’s the same we need to take care of those who haven’t as I do. Why?
It’s simply rubbish.
Those who are paid higher will pay more tax than those who aren’t and that is then divvied out through a host of social welfare channels and payments to help those who need it.
If you are such a great advocate for those ” less well off” give up your job and let one of those below you take it…..and have a better life and you could work with the others and help them.
@Paul O’Mahoney: norhing wrong except they’d gladly keep their foot on the head of a drowning man so long as it saves their lifestyle.
@Paul O’Mahoney: “the I’m alright jack”, that’s what set you off? That’s not an attack on high earners, it’s having a go at high earners who look down their noses at the low waged, couldn’t care less about them and you took offense to it. I worked very hard for a long time to get where I am and the reason I get paid well now is because of my research on the socio-economic circumstances of Irish families. “Below me”, they aren’t below me, the low waged in this country are some of the most productive workers in the world, they are my equals and they deserve to be paid accordingly. You think I should give up my job so some middle class kid who has just had Mammy and Daddy pay for their masters can take my job? Get over yourself. Wages have to rise, their is massive imbalance between profit and wages and it gets bigger every year. People with full-time jobs shouldn’t have to go crawling to the government for handouts to survive. Our welfare system has turned into a subsidy for employers and that wasn’t what the welfare state was supposed to be about. It is a fools course we are on, we have created a system of subsidising wages that will create absolute havoc in the next economic downturn.
@Paul O’Mahoney: @Paul O’Mahoney: Greed. That’s what’s wrong. We are seeing a massive transfer of wealth from the young to the old. If you were around 20 years ago and could buy properties great. But young people now have no chance. Instead they get caught up in a rent trap paying extortionate rents to parasitic landlords backed by a government more concerned with the needs of investors rather than the need for housing and homes. Free market is a nice idea on paper, but no economic model factors in greed. Limit supply and you in increase demand. Those who have assets make a killing on the backs of those who have not.
@Paul O’Mahoney: Just to be clear, I have nothing against high earners, I am frustrated by the attitude I am encountering from many high earners. And I would ask people to recognise, if you attack high earners, you will put downward pressure on wages as a whole. Wealth and income are two different things and people earning 150,000 a year isn’t a problem. My comment about a middle class kid taking my job was made in anger and I shouldn’t have said it. Workers are being pitted against each other and I shouldn’t be playing into it. I would like everyone to come to terms with the fact that the system we have now as regards things like wages, social transfers, pensions and housing is completely unsustainable. I don’t care what sector of the ideological spectrum a policy comes from as long as it’s evidence based and appropriate for the long-term challenges we face as a society.
@Sill Scoundrel: if the wages increase everything else will increase at least twice much, so low earners won’t feel better.
All the time we’re saying there’s not enough properties for people to live in, which makes rent way above the limits, where you have to pay for 2 bed apartment around €2.1-2.5k around Dublin, the “war” when you’re trying to buy a 2nd hand house is also a massive joke as the houses are sold by 50-75k more than they were listed. And all the taxes which are going on working people which are struggling on a daily basis.
@Ciarán Ryan: Oh, for heavens sake, this is the socialist claptrap in its totality and I heard it in the 80s, 90s and so forth.
Massive transfer from young to old? In what way? Because nearly all the wealth is held by the ” old” who BTW have worked hard for it and shouldn’t be vilified for having it .
I started work in 1987 and by 1990 myself and my now wife’s gross Salary together was 22,000 punts we bought our first house in 1990 for £39000 at interest rate of 14.25% fixed for 5 years.
We hadn’t a bob, but we kept going moved to a bigger house as children came along and so on ……..now we have wealth both physical and financial our children are educated and starting their careers and they will be left a considerable inheritance.
We’ll never feel bad about this.
@Sill Scoundrel: You only have a masters. You need to get a PHD they are great.
So let’s be clear you have an issue with people who are higher paid than others but you are in exactly that position and are unwilling to change it. Hypocritical?
To further your argument rather than look at yourself, you look to deride others who you don’t know and level unsubstantiated claims against them.
Whatever you’re masters is in ,it certainly wasn’t politeness or something useful.
@Sill Scoundrel: Breath, dude.
Anger is a very destructive emotion both for yourself and others.
It’s perfectly fine to hold a point of view or even an ideology with passion, but to achieve movement in that one shouldn’t be looking to blame anyone or use anyone else’s lives to justify their position is frankly what those in power want.
I respect your views, I don’t think they are correct. Well, thought out or feasible as the economic consequences wouldn’t be favourable, get busy volunteering with like minded people/organisations, you never know your idea might be the one that solves the problems we have.
@Paul O’Mahoney: And just for the record I view everyone as a professional, I treat people with dignity and , if they don’t reciprocate I unleash my wrath, and yes wealthy people have wraths.
Stay Stoic
Yeah but because of our out of date taxation the government gets a huge chunk of it. Increase the allowances, thresholds and bands inline with inflation! We’re being taxed as if there wasn’t just 20% inflation. Govt income tax and vat takes are massive now compared to 2019 due to the COL crisis and higher wages. They’re taking it in and spending it while we all struggle with the extra bills!!!
@another one? what’s going on is the semi state sec: Tax revenue isn’t up just because of the cost of living nor solely due to inflation. The Irish economy is growing we have 2.7m in employment , we rebounded from Covid quickly, and there are major issues that need addressing the present government is struggling with these as will any other government that may get elected.
We are a small, fully open economy, and we are at the mercy of global events more than others, but yet we grow year on year…..why is that.
Inflation is meant to slow economic growth but look at the last few years we run a budget surplus while most of Europe are running deficits .
@Paul O’Mahoney: Really?!…Of course more employment leads to more revenue. In 2019 Income tax revenue was 25.6 Billion. In 2023 it was 36.3 Billion, a 43% increase. Labour force was 2.35 million in 2019 and is 2.7 million that’s an increase of 15%. The “average” salary is 45k, in no pension paid that generates 9k. Those extra jobs would generate around 3 billion for argument sake taking the “average salary”. Majority would realistically be less than 45k…. That leaves 8 billion extra taxes. A 10% increase to a 45k salary is just a 6.2% increase in net pay. You pay a much higher percentage of tax…. So the govt is cleaning up with all the COL increases while we struggle. Hence why their budget has increased by 30%+ since 2019. Vat has also increased massively from 20.9 to 28.4billion
@Paul O’Mahoney: Do you think the current tax bands and thresholds have been at their current points throughout history?!? No, they’ve increased over time with inflation. There has been massive inflation recently it needs an overhaul to reflect this. As is, the govt are taking it all in and spending it which can be seen with their budget increases. We are all much worse off with the higher cost of things and the out of date taxation is compounding it.
@another one? what’s going on is the semi state sec: I’ll attempt to give my views on both posts.
Firstly you’re trying to make figures from information that you aren’t privy to and are using what’s called guessing, people get pay increases too, which will be taxed. I simply cannot follow or understand what you’re saying.
Historically, bands were increased, but by inflation? It’s kind of moot anyway as inflation prior to this spike has been 2% on average and bands never really move by even that amount.
To increase bands by 20% would be a leap and would fuel further inflation, and the cycle would continue.
My idea is simple introduction of a 30% rate from 35k to 70k or thereabouts that would be a more balanced approach.
@Paul O’Mahoney: Read first comment again……!
@another one? what’s going on is the semi state sec: I have multiple times and no better understanding has come to me.
Allow me to put it this way ” if someone is explaining something to you and you are of reasonable intelligence, and are still not understanding the issue it’s not your problem”.
If you’re willing to try again and perhaps make the points readable and simple to follow I’m willing to give it another try.
@Paul O’Mahoney: Nah I’m good!
Cow scutter, increase in real wages me bollock!!!!
Create a new middle tax band so that the middle class can also enjoy a little bit of an increase!
@Mark Trudgeon: increasing the lower bands benefits everyone. Everyone has some income at the lower rate so any changes benefits every worker. Tinkering with higher rates and bands only benefits higher earners. Surely changes that benefit all is better?
@Mark Trudgeon: Agreed there should be one.
Here comes the election!
Ya 1 per cent s club will grow while rest us get fleeced more and more. Yet people keep voting these a holes in . Now people problem with sinnfein did self just feel need a chance theyll go after 1 percent club . Have no incentives to getup for work are fleeced . Lad in town recently killed self over debt was in mean huge rent and utilities and what i heard he was not a gambling man or heavy drinker just a disgrace this country
@martin finnegan: what?
Weres John Mulligan. shouldn’t he be in here attacking the less well off.,. Slipping up there
All the XPERTS again Plenty time on their hands of course Not people who get up early in the morning it looks like Everything is wrong with the healthiest economy of course so let us vote in the head the balls and keep blaming the pesky refugees who should all be sent back to starvation or war torn countries Same old same old toxicity and fear mongering Yawn
SF will be disappointed.
The projection for economic growth in 2024 has been revised down to 0.6 per cent, with activity expected to remain weak in the near term. Growth is expected to pick up to 1.5 per cent in 2025 and 1.6 per cent in 2026. (Central Bank 15th march 2024). Where in these forecasts does the reality lie?
have your say