Cope's concerns 'a huge cry for help' for disability supports - Micheál Martin

Concerns from a leading charity over the lack of supports for thousands of children and adults with disabilities is a “huge cry for help” and a call to action, the Taoiseach has been told.

Families are under “enormous pressure fighting battles they cannot win”, Fianna Fail's Micheál Martin warned Leo Varadkar at Leaders' Questions in the Dáil after shocking figures revealed by the Irish Examiner.

Mr Martin reiterated the delays experienced by people trying to access services with the Cork-based foundation including 400 children waiting for assessment for autism spectrum disorder; over 1,350 waiting for specialist intervention and 649 adults identified as having changing needs.

Mr Martin referenced Cope CEO Sean Abbott's warning that “no matter how fast Cope Foundation does it, it will never clear it because the number keeps growing".

“The fact that he has issued these statements is a huge cry for help and a huge call to the Government to change direction,” Mr Martin said. He also argued that the Government lacked “vision, commitment and above all, delivery for the disability sector”.

But the claims triggered a robust response from Mr Varadkar who said the Cope Foundation had been given a 26% increase in budget rising to over €56m under the coalition.

“I am not sure if that 26% increase in budget has resulted in a 20% increase in service levels,” said Mr Varadkar. “As announced in the budget last week, the overall budget for disability services in 2020 will be in excess of €2 billion for the first time.” This money has yet to be divided up for services next year.

Mr Martin said families with children with special needs were not making up anxieties or the fact that they cannot get assessments or access speech and language therapy and physiotherapy. However, Mr Varadkar pointed to disability service cuts when Fianna Fail were in power.

“When Deputy Micheál Martin was in government, his party cut the budget for disability services and the disability allowance. Fianna Fáil's record on disability is appalling. The Deputy should be ashamed of his record on disability and should not be so self-righteous in this House.

“Fianna Fáil cut the disability allowance. It should be ashamed of how it treated people with disabilities,” said Mr Varadkar.

Sinn Fein's Mary Lou McDonald tackled Mr Varadkar on the 744 suicides over the last year. This includes teenager Elisha Gault who took her own life.

The government was "failing" to address the many deaths and concerns around suicide, claimed Ms McDonald.

But Mr Varadkar said funding for suicide prevention services and supports had risen by 44% over the last seven years.

Over €1bn was going towards mental health, he added.