FIANNA Fáil TD for Cork South West, Christopher O'Sullivan, is calling for more action to address the growing challenges faced by individuals with disabilities and their families in the West Cork region.
Ahead of this Friday's General Election, Deputy O'Sullivan highlighted the ongoing difficulties in Cork South West in accessing essential disability services and the significant staff shortage across the sector, which are impeding progress and negatively impacting the lives of those who depend on these services.
'On the campaign trail, I've met so many parents of children with complex needs who are not receiving the critical services their children need on a daily basis,' O'Sullivan said.
'Many are waiting far too long for assessments, and even basic access to essential services is being delayed. This is simply unacceptable.'
Christopher also spoke about the frustration many workers in the disability sector are experiencing.
'Many people who work in the sector are telling me they’re struggling with a system in desperate need of reform. The current conditions are so challenging that many workers are forced to leave the sector for private roles or even travel abroad for better pay and working conditions.'
O'Sullivan stressed the need for an overhaul of the Children’s Disability Network Teams (CDNTs), which are currently operating under unequal pay conditions.
'As a result of the reconfiguration of disability services in recent years, we now have charity organisations and HSE teams doing the same work, yet their pay and conditions differ significantly. We need to address this immediately to ensure pay equality and fair working conditions for all those who work tirelessly to improve the lives of people with disabilities.'
In addition, O'Sullivan called for the recruitment of more administrative staff within disability services to ease the pressure on clinicians.
'Many clinicians spend a significant portion of their day dealing with administrative tasks. We can take that burden off clinicians and enable them to spend more time focusing on children to directly address their needs by hiring more administrative staff.'
O'Sullivan acknowledged that the government has made progress in addressing disability services nationwide, but he stressed that rural areas like West Cork continue to face additional challenges.
'Many families in West Cork are facing the additional burden of travelling to Cork city to access the appropriate education and services for their children. Some children have to travel up to two hours each way by sanctioned bus or taxi to attend school. This not only adds to the stress for parents, but also makes it more difficult to respond quickly if a child becomes ill or in an emergency.'
O'Sullivan believes a dedicated special school for children with disabilities in West Cork would alleviate much of this pressure on families.
'It is crucial that we invest in building more specialised facilities in West Cork to reduce the strain on parents and children and make access to services more localised.'
O'Sullivan also raised concerns about the difficulties people with disabilities face when trying to enter or sustain employment.
'Many individuals with disabilities are afraid that working will result in the loss of their critical weekly allowance. We need to create more incentives and support structures to help those with disabilities enter the workforce and remain employed.'
In conclusion, O'Sullivan said: 'We are at a critical juncture. People with disabilities in West Cork and their families are struggling to access the vital services they need, and this is a direct result of staffing shortages and under-resourcing of the disability sector. These delays and gaps in service provision are causing unnecessary distress for individuals and their loved ones.'
O'Sullivan called on the next government to prioritise disability services in rural areas, noting that many local service providers are struggling with recruitment and retention issues, which is affecting the delivery of essential services such as personal assistance, respite care, and therapy support.
'If I am returned to the next Dáil, I will continue to push for real solutions to the ongoing issues facing people with disabilities in West Cork," O'Sullivan concluded. "We need a fairer, more responsive system that ensures they can live independent and fulfilling lives, and their families can access the support they deserve.'
