Danielle Creaney from Athy told Kildare Today that her brother Padraig, first diagnosed with intellectual disabilities when he was seven years old, has deteriorated and he can not leave the house.
We are "struggling and not sleeping".
That's according to the sister of a young man who has been waiting twelve years for an Assessment of Needs (AONs).
Danielle Creaney from Athy told Kildare Today that her brother Padraig, first diagnosed with intellectual disabilities when he was seven years old, has deteriorated and he can not leave the house.
Senator Mark Wall recently raised concerns over delays in Assessments Of Needs (AONs) in the Seanad.
He said despite promises of reform, families like the Creaneys continue to await assessments for years.
He said: "This is just an example of one family, but I get calls like that from so many families week in week out. They are looking for an assessment and a re-assessment of need. That child was seven in 2012. It is now 2024 and he has not had his re-assessment of need. The family is crying out for it and there are more families in the line. There does not seem to be any improvement in relation to assessment of need."
He added: "When I receive a letter that states that there is no formal pathway, there is no alternative and I have to share that with a family who are in despair, it beggars belief."
Minister of State at the Department of Health Anne Rabbitte was not present when Senator Wall raised the issue due to a "prior commitment".
However, speaking on her behalf, Neale Richmond TD said Deputy Rabbitte will continue to engage directly with Senator Wall "not just regarding the family in Athy he mentioned but other families across CHO 7 and particularly as they affect Kildare South."
He said: "Following the High Court ruling on 11 March 2022, to the HSE was required to re-assess children to meet legal requirements. While alternative guidance was developed, the HSE reverted to the pre-2020 process and there may have been a lack of consistency across the country in the application of this interim method. It appears that the correspondence that the Senator sent to the Minister of State referred to the individual who was awaiting an AON within this timeframe."
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