Autistic child on 6-year waiting list to be seen in Blakestown

Children with disabilities are waiting 72 months to be seen by the Blakestown Disability Network Team, according to figures gathered by Sinn Féin TD Paul Donnelly.

Donnelly said the waiting list was “shocking.”

He said the issue was raised with him after a constituent visited his office and showed him a letter from the Blakestown Children’s Disability Network Team informing them that their autistic child could not be seen for another 72 months, or six years.

In the letter, the CDNT manager said that although the child has been assessed as autistic and requires its services since November 2021, it would be at least another 72 months before the service could provide support.

“As a member of all party, Oireachtas committee on Autism I am aware of the ever-increasing length of the waiting lists for services and assessments however this is the longest waitlist time I, nor any other TD has come across,” the Dublin West TD said.

“The time for excuses, hand wringing and apologies are over, this now needs to be declared an emergency and real action taken.”

Donnelly said he spoke to Minister Anne Rabbitte and Tánaiste Micheál Martin on the issue and called on the government to declare an emergency in the disability services.

“They must now call in the CEO of the HSE and disability services management to develop a comprehensive plan to cut the waiting lists; the children who need disability service cannot wait almost their entire primary education before they get support,” he said.

In a May edition of the Northside People, this publication revealed details of children with intellectual disabilities in the Dublin 15 area facing a never-ending waitlist for services.

In this newspaper, we covered a number of parents protesting over the lack of school places for children with autism and other special needs, and a separate article explored the plight of educational facilities in Dublin 15 being denied resources by the government.