Waiting lists for autism assessments four times longer than they should be, says Cork TD

Waiting lists for autism assessments are four times longer than they should be, according to a Cork North Central TD.

People Before Profit-Solidarity TD Mick Barry said families in Cork city are being told they have to wait 24-30 months for an assessment, despite the Government having an obligation to provide appointments within six months.

A letter sent to a Cork couple, seen by The Echo, told the parents: “The waiting time for autism assessment is approximately 24 to 30 months.”

Mr Barry said in the Dáil on Tuesday: “For autistic kids, early intervention is key — that’s what all the experts say.

“The Disability Act places a legal obligation upon the State to determine within three months whether assessment is appropriate then to assess within a further three months.

“I have here a letter sent last week by the HSE to parents of a child just under two years of age in Cork city,” he said, explaining that the letter highlights a waiting time of 24-30 months.

Mr Barry mentioned that autism campaigner Cara Dermody is requesting a commitment that the State will be in a position to meet its legal obligations in full within a year, asking: “Are you prepared to meet that commitment?”.

Taoiseach Simon Harris said he and minister of State Anne Rabbitte are working “intensively” on this, saying: “We’ve already allocated additional funding of €6.89m to provide for an assessment of need waiting list initiative, this will provide a further 2,500 private appointments to be delivered within the next six months”.

“A key issue” is trying to recruit, he explained. “We ran a recruitment campaign, 145 job offers have now been made for successful candidates to work in this area, 53 of those people are in the final stages of recruitment, we’ll run another recruitment campaign very shortly”.

Speaking to The Echo after the interaction, Mr Barry said: “I’m pretty sure that the parents who were told that their child will have to wait up to two-and-a-half years for an assessment will not be impressed with the Taoiseach’s reply.

A HSE spokesperson said: “We deeply regret the distress experienced by children, young people, and their families with any delays in accessing healthcare supports. There is a significant demand for assessments for children presenting with disability or developmental delay.”

They explained that access to children’s disability services is prioritised based on needs, and many children require lengthy diagnostic ASD (Autism Spectrum Disorder) assessments but reinstated the Taoiseach’s assurance that they have commissioned a number of private providers to provide diagnostic ASD assessments.