Children with disabilities 'need a national advocacy service'

While an advocacy service for adults with disabilities has existed in Ireland since 2011, advocacy groups say such a free service would improve how the current system functions. Picture: iStock 

Disabilities rights organisations are to call for the introduction of a dedicated national advocacy service for children with disabilities today to “prevent crisis situations in families occurring”.

Rights groups including Inclusion Ireland and Empowering People in Care (Epic) will argue before the Oireachtas disabilities committee that the introduction of such a free service would not be an “additional burden” on the system and would improve how the current system functions.