Children are being lost in the system

Children in Leitrim are as entitled as children in Dublin and Limerick to have psychological assessment services and early intervention is very important, Cllr Ita Reynolds Flynn said at a recent meeting where she asked that Leitrim County Council call on the HSE, the Minister for Health and the Minister for Education to provide psychological assessment services in County Leitrim for school children in need of this service. 

"Most schools are allowed one psychological assessment per year and there are no psychiatrists in Leitrim or Donegal presently," she added.

Cllr Reynolds Flynn continued: "Children are then not being assessed and a number of years go by and then they go on to secondary school and are lost in the system."

Cllr Mary Bohan supported the motion because "a lot of damage can be done by not having children assessed in time and the same is happening with speech therapy and in other areas" and being "left on a list". 

She said those who are being assessed are still not "getting the proper treatment in time". 

Cllr Brendan Barry noted there are "huge vacancies on the Children's Disability Network teams in Leitrim, West Cavan and right across the country and also on the primary care teams." 
He said, "It's not just a case of a child having a psychological assessment but children need to continually be assessed when they are changing from one school to another."

Cllr Finola Armstrong-McGuire said that "early intervention is life-changing for the child and their family" adding that the millions spent on health and education on children with difficulties can "often be avoided if the early intervention takes place."

She concluded: "The problems of adolescents could be well brought down if things are treated early."

Cllr Des Guckian also supported the motion.