Laois General Election candidate 'shocked' by situation facing parents of children with special needs

A Laois General Election candidate says she is shocked that parents of children with special needs in Laois can't even get get the most basic services.

In an effort to respond Elaine Mullally, Independent, says she has announced the creation of a new taskforce aimed at supporting parents.

In a statement, Ms Mullally, who has been canvassing across the county, says she has been "shocked and saddened by how much pressure parents with children with special needs are under."

"Parents can't get even the most basic of services," she said.

She pointed to what she described as immense challenges faced with one of the most pressing being difficulties in securing school places for children with special needs.

"Different schools and different principals have different policies, which creates inconsistency and stress for families," she said in a written statement.

The Portarlington-based candidate also highlighted what she claimed was a significant lack of information and support available to parents, particularly during the critical period when a child is first diagnosed.

She said that as part of the taskforce’s initial goals, she is working on creating a comprehensive roadmap for parents. She said this would guide families following a diagnosis, offering clear steps and resources.

"Parents are frequently left upset and overwhelmed after receiving a diagnosis for their child. This roadmap will be a vital tool to help them navigate what comes next," said Ms Mullally. 

The first-time election candidate also noted what she said was a severe shortage of therapists in Ireland, with many emigrating to countries like Australia and Canada for better opportunities. Meanwhile, she said Irish therapists trained in the UK often face delays of over a year to register with CORU before they can begin working in Ireland.

"We need to address this bottleneck and speed up the registration process," she said.

The former Ireland Independent party member also called for the acceleration of conversion courses for qualified teachers, social workers, and nurses, allowing them to complete a master's degree as a Speech and Language Therapist, Occupational Therapist, or psychologist.

Ms Mullaly also believes that years of underinvestment in disability services have led to the current crisis.

"Education has never really been an election issue before, but now there is a whole cohort of children and parents struggling," she said. She emphasised the urgent need to make education and support for special needs children a priority for the upcoming election.

"Parents are the experts on their own children, and we need to empower them. If and when elected, I want to ensure that the treatment of special needs children as second-class citizens in healthcare and education stops," she said.

Ms Mullally said her taskforce aims to give parents a voice and ensure their concerns are addressed, advocating for a fairer, more inclusive system for children with special needs in Laois.

Apart from Ms Mullally others who she says are on the taskforce are Celine Cole, Architect Cole Planning & Design, Ciara Conroy, Special Education Needs Teacher, Debbie Byrne parent of a son with special needs and advocate. James Hyland Advocate for children with autism and special needs.

Ms Mullally aims to win one of three seats in the new Laois constituency at the 2024 General Election.