4-year appointment wait for autistic Donaghmede child

The parents of a 7-year old non-verbal child with autism have spoken out about their battles to secure an appointment.

Madison Maher was assessed in 2020, but has now been waiting four years to avail of services from the Children’s Disability Network Team.

The Maher family have been given no timeframe on appointments for speech and language therapy despite the long wait.

The family said that as a result of the years-long wait to be seen, Maddie has developed severe problems with the development of her feet and will likely require surgery.

It was noted that the surgery could have been prevented if she early intervention services were in place.

Maddie’s parents Michelle and Tommy said “Maddie is usually a happy contented child who has the right to be treated within our disability services, but the neglect of help has been traumatic to say the least.”

“Maddie’s teacher Jennifer, and the SNA’s in her school (Stapolin ETNS) have done more for Maddie in the past year than anyone else has but it shouldn’t be left up to them. She has a right to these essential treatments,” they said. 

Local TD Cian O’Callaghan said the situation was “completely unacceptable.”

“Maddie has spent half her young life on waiting lists without getting any of the supports she needs from the Children’s Disability Network Team. Timely intervention in these early years is of critical importance. This cannot be allowed to continue,” he said.

Speaking in the Dáil, O’Callaghan said the family were at their “wit’s end” trying to get support for Maddie.

“They have been passed around and told that staff shortages are why Maddie is being left without any support. Maddie urgently needs supportive therapies and a long-term care plan. She urgently needs a further assessment to use an alternative communications device. She urgently needs to be seen by a clinical nurse specialist.”

The Social Democrats TD noted that Maddie’s case is just one of many, in a situation he calls a “systemic failure” by the State.

“There are thousands of children out there like her. Each child and family is enduring pain, trauma and almost constant anxiety. Parents who have to watch their children suffer every day are in a living hell. They know there are therapies that could transform their children’s lives but they cannot access them and do not know if they will ever be able to do so. All their interactions with State agencies end in the same way, with waiting lists and broken promises.”

He questioned why there are still 700 vacant positions in CDNTs, and called on Government to be more proactive in tackling the issue.

Tánaiste Micheál Martin, who was Taoiseach between 2020 and 2022 and was Minister for Health between 2000 and 2004, conceded that there were shortages in the healthcare system.

Martin said that cabinet are looking to encourage people to avail of private assessments and has set aside €11 million in funding to clear the backlog.

In addition, he said that 165 job offers have been made this year in filling the vacant positions, and claimed that tackling the waiting list was a priority of the government.

He said that the funding would result in nearly 2,500 children across Ireland being able to avail of assessments, but O’Callaghan questioned if the necessary staff was in place to carry out said assessments.

“With 700 existing vacancies, 165 job offers are not going to cut it,” he said. 

“When will the CDNTs be properly staffed and resourced? When will Maddie get the interventions and supports she urgently needs?”

Maddie’s parents will be holding a peaceful protest on Thursday, June 13 at 4pm outside the CDNT office in Swords Business Centre and have requested a meeting with disability minister Anne Rabbitte. 

“We need your support now. We urge people to join us. Minister Rabbitte, we beg you from the bottom of our heart and for every family in Ireland, please give our Maddie the opportunity to live a fulfilled life.”

Despite the Northside being well-repersented in the halls of power, the lack of adequate healthcare services for children with intellectual or physical disabilities has become a recurring issue in the Northside People.

A late May edition of the Northside People covered the case of parents of another non-verbal child with autism not being able to avail of a school place in Finglas.

The Northside People ran a series of articles in 2023 documenting the case of graduates from the St. Michael’s school in Baldoyle not being able to secure places in day services following their graduation last summer.

Speaking in April, local Labour TD Duncan Smith said  “it should not be the responsibility of those who deserve to have their rights met to wait for the State to catch up.”

Smith said that whenever opposition parties bring up embargoes on hiring staff in the healthcare service – a hangover from various austerity budgets of the 2010s – government parties deny that such an embargo is in place.

In turn, he says it is the people with disabilities that suffer.

“Every aspect of our health service faces large waiting lists, from seeing specialists to even getting a GP appointment. Last year, 10,000 children waited more than 12 months to see a member of a CDNT team. The stress and anxiety caused to children and young people and to their families and disabled people is incredible. Every time the recruitment embargo is brought up by the opposition it is met with the unbelievable response from the Government that the embargo does not exist and the government has hired too many people; it has not.”

“We have come a long distance in the past 20 or 30 years in terms of how society values and treats people with disabilities. However, this has not been matched by the government.”