I welcome the Minister of State, Deputy Moynihan, to the House. You are most welcome.
Nithe i dtosach suíonna - Commencement Matters
State Examinations
Gabhaim buíochas leis an Aire Stáit as ucht a bheith anseo ar maidin. Is léir go bhfuil géarghá le comhrá cuimsitheach ar an ábhar seo agus go bhfuil réiteach na bhfaidhbe seo ag teastáil láithreach ar mhaithe le daltaí na hardteiste 2025.
I thank Senator Pat Casey, with whom I have worked closely on this issue in recent weeks. Like me, he has fielded a high number of queries on this from students and concerned parents across Wicklow. The recent news relating to leaving certificate grade inflation, namely, that it is intended to reduce this year's post-marking adjustment to 5.5% from the previous pandemic average of 7.5%, sent shockwaves through the secondary school system and left leaving certificate students extremely anxious that they would miss out on their preferred course in the Central Applications Office, CAO, system.
I have experience of this, having been a teacher for the past few years. Especially during the pandemic, this raised the anxiety levels of students. For context, between 2019 and 2020, there was a doubling of the number of students receiving a H1 grade in leaving certificate subjects. There is already enough anxiety associated with the leaving certificate. This is evidenced by recent Jigsaw research that revealed that 22% of leaving certificate students reported severe to very severe levels of depression during their leaving certificate year. It is widely acknowledged that exceptional measures were necessary during Covid-19 and that, generally, the Government got it right, but we need to get it right again now. No young person sitting the 2025 leaving certificate should have his or her dreams dashed because of previous measures that were out of that young person's control.
To further compound students' misery, a record 83,000 applicants have been made to this year's CAO, according to recent Irish Examiner articles. This means that approximately 40% of applicants will be at a significant advantage in the points race, having done the leaving certificate in previous years when grade inflation was at its highest. This raises many serious questions. First, will the taxpayer have to foot the bill if students who miss out on courses successfully pursue the State legally? Second, can this be avoided by offering an increased number of spaces on third level courses in high demand in our colleges? If so, can this be communicated as soon as possible to these students to take them out of their misery in this year?
We all recognise that students who went through secondary school during the Covid-19 years were robbed of the best years of their lives. Nobody has an issue with the fact that they received inflated grades. However, we need to ensure a fair levelling out of grade inflation to ensure that future leaving certificate students are not unfairly discriminated against.
I thank the Senator for raising this issue. It is a topical issue at the moment because of the concerns that have been raised. I welcome the opportunity to address the House. The Minister, Deputy McEntee, has said that she is conscious of the stress relating to the exam periods. As Minister of State in the Department, I understand the serious challenges facing students and I do not want to add to that stress.
While grade inflation must be reduced, it must be done in a way that is as fair as possible. The CAO system is distinct from the operation and accreditation of the leaving certification by the State Examinations Commission. Access to higher education is a matter for the Department of Further and Higher Education, Research, Innovation and Science. The Department of Education has been working closely with the Department of further education on this matter. I am aware that the Department has been working over many years with the higher education and further education training sectors to provide increased opportunities and pathways into further and higher education to help reduce the pressures on students.
The Department of Education has been advised that the proportion of higher education entrants who completed their leaving certificates in the previous year typically around 13%. There are no indications at this time that the proportion of students applying with pre-2025 leaving certificate results varies significantly this year compared with previous years.
Regarding the leaving certificate, following the implementation of calculated grades in 2020 and the dual approach of the examinations and accredited grades in 2021, two types of intervention have been implemented in recent years, namely, adjustments to the examination and assessment arrangements and the post-marking adjustments to outcomes. The first of these - the adjustment to assessment arrangements - assists students by leaving intact the familiar overall structure of the examinations while incorporating additional choice for students. In some cases, the adjustment measures provide more time for tuition by, for example, reducing preparatory work for practical examinations. The adjustments to assessment arrangements that have applied in recent years continue to apply in the 2025 leaving certificate year. The second intervention - the post-marking adjustment - has ensured that results in the aggregate have remained the same on average since 2021. Aggregated grades rose significantly in 2020 by 4.4% and by a further 2.6% in 2021.
As is widely recognised, we must return to pre-pandemic levels. In April 2024, it was announced by the then Minister for Education that this would be done gradually in line with the commitment that there would be no cliff edge relating to the overall results. In 2025, the State Examinations Commission will again apply a post-marking adjustment after marking is completed. This will bring results, in the aggregate, to a point broadly midway between the 2020 and 2021 levels, resulting in an aggregate in 2025 that is expected to be above 2019 levels by at least 5.5% on average. This return is being done in a gradual way to minimise the impact on students in so far as possible.
The State Examinations Commission has been a successful organisation. It is an independent body with considerable credit. Huge store has been put in it by the entire education system - the students, parents and education practitioners - over many years because of the excellent work it has done. Those are the points I wish to make.
I thank the Minister of State for the response. I understand it is hard in real time to gather data on a current issue, in this case the number of applications. However, there seems to be some dispute and ambiguity as regards what percentage of applications received this year were from previous leaving certificate years and students who had the grades that were increased by, on average, 7.5%. That needs to be taken into account.
It is a stressful time for leaving certificate students. I was a secondary school teacher. We need to reform the leaving certificate. That is a different debate which overlaps with this one. The leaving certificate puts serious pressure on young people. There is then the added stress of potentially being at a disadvantage compared with previous leaving certificate years. We have moved from 70,000 CAO applications last year to 83,000 this year. Those extra students will have a significant advantage in their points. That adds enormous pressure. Will there be an increase in the number of college places provided to students this year to alleviate the damage done by the reduction in points increases? I understand we need to level this out and it cannot be done as a cliff edge and needs to be done gradually. I appreciate it is being done in that way. However, we need to be mindful of the fact that we must communicate with students in a timely fashion to allow them to relax a small bit and concentrate on studying for their exams.
I thank the Senator. I am acutely aware and conscious that the leaving certificate can be a stressful time for families and students. There is the stress of the examinations and of the decisions for students as they determine their pathways into work and continued education. We are taking a gradual approach to the return to pre-pandemic outcomes. I note the point the Senator made. Everybody accepts that we must work through this with the gradual approach that has also been taken in other jurisdictions. Students sitting their leaving certificate examinations this year will still benefit from the adjustment to assessment arrangements and the post-marking adjustment that the State Examinations Commission will implement. We are acutely conscious that this is a complex issue with no simple solution. The timelines for further removal of the post-marking adjustments and the exact level of future adjustments after 2025 will be informed by the 2025 experience. It is appropriate that we take the time to review the 2025 experience before making any adjustments to the time required for a full return to normal marking processes.
The Department of Education is working with the Department of further and higher education on this matter. The Department has been working over many years with the higher and further education and training sectors to provide increased opportunities and pathways to help reduce the pressures on students. I have been advised this morning that the CAO and higher education institutes are working to address any challenges and respond to student demand, ensuring that students have access to the opportunities they deserve.
Third Level Education
I welcome the Minister of State, Deputy Harkin, to the House. I thank her for coming to discuss this important topic.
I thank the Minister of State for coming to the Chamber to discuss this important Commencement matter. The reason I have raised the issue is the most recent census showed that in my county of Wexford, the proportion of people going to third level is 37%, which is 8% below the national average of 45%. Wexford has the fourth lowest level of third level education of all counties.
The South East Technological University offers us an opportunity to have a technological university based in Wexford where we can work to help to bridge the deficit for the attainment of third level education. As the Minister of State will be aware, a compulsory purchase order, CPO, process is under way to acquire lands to develop a designated campus at Killeens in Wexford town for the university. I am aware that this matter is before the courts, so I do not intend to discuss the specific issue of the land.
We were told that the Higher Education Authority, HEA, was examining the business case for the provision of funding for an SETU campus in Wexford, with a decision likely to be taken in the first quarter of 2025. Is the Government committed to the delivery of a Wexford campus for the SETU at Killeens? Will the Minister of State provide an update on the business case and on whether a decision been taken? Given the current uncertainty surrounding the site and the fact that a case is before the courts, is it possible for the HEA to progress the business case for funding for the campus? It is important that we are fully briefed on the status of this project because, as the Minister of State is no doubt aware, once the business case is approved, we still have to go through the master plan, design, planning permission, tender and, ultimately, construction stages. She might give us a sense of how she sees this project progressing over the next few years.
I thank the Senator for raising the important matter of the proposed new campus for SETU in Wexford. As he is aware, the current SETU campus in Wexford is not suitable as a transformational learning and development environment. The university has been working on a proposal to provide fit-for-purpose infrastructure that both learners and staff at Wexford can be proud of. This proposal aims to provide a campus that will feature state-of-the-art teaching spaces, facilitating the delivery of SETU's education and training programmes as well as business incubation facilities that will help to foster innovation and entrepreneurship within the region. In line with the infrastructure guidelines, SETU has developed a business case to support this proposal, which is being progressed under the technological sector strategic project funds framework, TSSPF. SETU has submitted its business case to the HEA for consideration. If the business case is approved following evaluation, it will feed into the overall master plan being prepared by Wexford County Council for the lands in question.
In line with the infrastructure guidelines, successful business cases are required to be further developed as part of the pre-tender, project design, planning and procurement strategy stage. This is a key stage of development where the proposal will be further refined, the design will be further advanced and the procurement strategy and project execution plan will be developed. Funding requirements for the proposal will be informed by the relevant evaluation processes and the funding availability in the context of the Department's overall capital budget. Specific funding will be set aside within the Department's budget for the cost of the site.
Tremendous work has been done by Wexford County Council on progressing a site for the proposed development. Senator Byrne will be aware that over recent years, SETU has been working closely with the council to help identify an appropriate site for a permanent home for the Wexford campus. As part of this engagement, a preferred site was identified. Following a lengthy negotiation process between the council and the vendor, agreement could not be reached on a price, so the council progressed the acquisition of the site, totalling 48.5 acres, by way of CPO. The intention is that a proportion of the site will be used to facilitate a new Wexford campus for SETU, with the remainder being developed by Wexford County Council.
I am aware that a legal challenge has been received in respect of the CPO and this is before the courts for consideration, with a High Court hearing scheduled to take place in May. It would not be appropriate of me to make any further comment while these proceedings remain ongoing.
I thank the Minister of State for confirming that specific funding has been set aside within the Department's budget towards the cost of the site. I recently met Professor Veronica Campbell, the president of the SETU, along with my colleague, Councillor Robbie Staples. I commend the great work taking place on the current Wexford campus of SETU at St. Peter's College and the work being done to put the word out that there are courses available there. This is about securing a purpose-built, designated, state-of-the-art facility for the SETU in Wexford.
Regarding the business case and the current evaluation of it by the HEA, when is it likely that we will have an update?
I thank the Senator for providing me with the opportunity to set out the position of this project for the south east. I heard what he said about the figures regarding educational access and the need to improve that in the south east. My Department and I are supportive of the need to work collaboratively with the SETU via the HEA to advance this project. Capital investment is a key priority for my Department and I recognise the importance of developing, enhancing and supporting the new TU sector to allow it to provide high-quality campuses for teaching, learning and research.
At the moment, the CPO process is currently at the notice to treat stage. It is the intention that a portion of this site will be used to facilitate a new Wexford campus for SETU, with the remainder of the site being developed by Wexford County Council. SETU has submitted its business case for the proposed development of the site to the HEA for evaluation. If that business case is approved, it will feed into the overall master plan currently being prepared by Wexford County Council for the subject bands.
The Senator mentioned the legal challenge that has lodged by the landowner. That is due to be heard in May. It is important to recognise that the purpose of the hearing is to consider the merits of the landowner's application for a judicial review. That means a judicial review has not yet been granted. That is where we are at present. I am happy to speak to the Senator and to the senior Minister regarding the progress on this matter.
Visa Applications
I welcome the Minister of State, Deputy Moynihan, again. Before I call Senator Clonan to make his case, I welcome his guests: Ms Walaa Sabah from Gaza and Ms Fiona O’Rourke from the Irish Writers Centre at Trinity College Dublin. I hope they enjoy their visit to Leinster House.
I thank the Minister of State for coming along to take this Commencement matter.
I want to raise the case of Jehad Sabah. He is a 57-year-old man. He has managed to get away from Gaza and all of the destruction there. He is currently being held at El Arish hospital in North Sinai in Egypt. Jehad's daughter, Walaa Sabah is here. Ahlan wa sahlan, I welcome her to this House. Jehad is suffering from a serious cardiac condition. He is only 57.
He has been told that El Arish hospital does not have the specialists to treat him. He is effectively detained there, along with Walaa's mum, Rina, who is 51. The ask is that the Minister for Justice facilitate a visa for them to come here to be reunited with their daughter, Walaa, who works with the Irish Red Cross in Ireland. The Sabah family have a very intimate and close connection with Ireland. Walaa's younger sister, Rawan, is only 20, which is the same age as my daughter. She is trapped in Gaza, among all the destruction there, with her brother, Ahmed. Rawan has just got a scholarship to study pharmacy in Trinity College Dublin. We hope there will be a pathway for Rawan to come and join Walaa. Will the Minister consider, facilitate and expedite a visa on medical grounds for Walaa's dad, Jehad, to be treated? I imagine, notwithstanding its severity, that his medical condition is probably something that can be routinely treated in Ireland.
We have heard so much about what has happened to the people of Gaza. At this point, 14,500 children have been slaughtered there. It is de facto a genocide. It is urbicide, with the destruction of towns, cities and villages. It is femicide in the wholesale slaughter of women and children, which is infanticide. It is genocide. That is not a criticism of the Jewish people, because the Israel Defense Forces are a multi-confessional force. The Israel Defense Forces are made up of Druze, Bedouins, Muslims, Christians and Jews. Criticism of the genocidal actions of Netanyahu and the Israel Defense Forces is not a criticism of Judaism. It is not an antisemitic statement. It is the recognition that, before the world's eyes, genocide is taking place on an unprecedented scale in this century.
What can we do? The Government, including the Taoiseach and the Tánaiste, has shown great moral leadership in calling out these genocidal actions. We might throw our hands up and ask what we can do. Walaa's brother Ahmed is trapped there. I know that the Israelis, as they move through the territory, are carrying out what are euphemistically referred to in the media as field executions. They are murdering boys and men. We can help the Sabah family. We can reunite them. This is something practical we can do for a family - reunite them. In time, I hope that Rawan gets out and then Ahmed, so that we can save this family.
I do not mean to sound melodramatic or trite but when we watch a film such as "Schindler's List", we all understand the meaning and impact of saving people. We have within our gift the opportunity to save this family. I know the Minister of State will urge the Minister to consider this request favourably and assist the family because they are trapped in that facility. They need consular assistance to facilitate this visa.
I thank the Senator for raising the issue on behalf of Jehad Sabah. I welcome his daughter to the Visitors Gallery. I know and appreciate that this is a very difficult time for everybody. While I have an official response that I will go through, I will also address the seriousness of the issue. I will liaise with the Minister, Deputy O'Callaghan, on this Commencement matter.
I express my sympathy to the Sabah family on the incredibly difficult circumstances they are encountering. There is no justification for the devastating loss of life and the attacks on civilians and healthcare services in Gaza. It is simply not justifiable. I am advised by the Minister for Justice that his Department is acutely aware of the grave humanitarian crisis in Gaza and that his officials are working closely with colleagues in the Department of foreign affairs to ensure a co-ordinated national response to this volatile and evolving situation. This includes work to evacuate Irish citizens and their families, who may require visa assistance.
Medical evacuation operations are extraordinarily difficult. In September last year, the Government approved Ireland's participation in an initiative to evacuate a number of sick children from Gaza for treatment and care, following an appeal from the World Health Organization. The initiative was organised under the EU civil protection mechanism, though it is the Department of Justice, supported by the Department of Health and the HSE, that facilitated the evacuation of children out of Gaza via Egypt. The first group of children arrived safely in December.
This was a very complex international operation, which required significant input and resources from a number of Departments, and indeed from countries and international organisations. I am advised by the Minister that unfortunately, his Department is very limited in the assistance it can provide to Palestinian nationals who wish to resettle in Ireland, unless they have an entitlement to move here under the existing legal migration pathways. The Embassy of Ireland in Israel is actively engaging with applicants, gathering the required documentation and ensuring the visa division of the Department has everything it needs to progress this issue.
I will convey the seriousness of this case and I will ask the Minister and the Department of Justice and indeed other Government agencies as well, to look into this case. I accept the genuineness of it and I accept the bona fides of what has been put before me. I will certainly liaise with the Department to see can we further assist.
I thank the Minister of State. Jehad and Rina al Sabah are actually out of Gaza. That is the most critical aspect of this. They are now in northern Egypt and therefore some of the barriers and the obstacles to their liberation from what is effectively a ghetto, a concentration camp created by the Israeli military, have been removed.
I am heartened to hear of the precedent of Palestinian children and family members being brought to Ireland under that medical category of visa. I think it is called a stamp 3 visa, though I might stand corrected on that. Given the precedent that exists, if we bring Jehad and Rina here, it will save Jehad's life. He is 57 years of age. He might see his children again and in time, God willing, Inshallah, his grandchildren. This is something we can do for him and the family.
Again, that link with Rawan getting the pharmacy scholarship to Trinity College demonstrates the family is already making contributions to our society, such as working with the Red Cross. I thank the Minister of State for his support. If he could convey this to the Minister’s officials, I would really appreciate it.
I accept the genuineness of the issue, and I understand that on a number of fronts, the family is well-integrated into Irish society and will be into the future. It is a complex area that we have to work on. Notwithstanding that the family is in Egypt, we will work with the Departments of Justice and Foreign Affairs and Trade, and if there is other information the Senator has and wishes to pass on to us, we will get it to the Department and try and issue a more detailed response. However, I accept the bona fides of the case. There is a complex web of bureaucracy we will have to try to get through. I am committed to taking the case back to the Minister and I will relay the seriousness of it. At 57 years old, Jehad is the same age as myself, so I understand. We have to think of the family in the long term as well.
We can only look on aghast at what is happening in the Middle East at the moment and the huge humanitarian crisis that has developed. Sometimes when we look at it, as the Senator said, we feel like throwing up our hands. However, we have been very vocal about it. It is hugely frustrating to see this happening in our world in what we believe are enlightened times.
I welcome our guests to the Gallery. I hope you are enjoying your visit to Leinster House. Enjoy the rest of the day.
Disability Services
I welcome the Minister of State, Deputy Naughton.
Cuirim fáilte roimh an Aire Stáit. World Down Syndrome Day took place on 21 March and many of us will have celebrated in all our constituencies with wonderful music and dance. There were performances celebrating World Down Syndrome Day, and I was fortunate to attend a wonderful event in Sligo Town Hall.
When I was there, I spoke to the mother of a young person, Constance. Constance is now aged 20 and has Down's syndrome. Constance has always been a very bright and enthusiastic child who has made really good and consistent progress in her development and mastery of life skills. Then, about 18 months ago, Constance's progress slowed and actually started to reverse. A loss of previously acquired developmental skills in any individual, such as toileting skills, eating independently and dressing oneself, is known as regression and is naturally frightening and worrying for both the individual and the individual's family. Constance also developed behaviours that were not characteristic of her personality at all. Constance has always been a gentle, sociable and loving young woman, but suddenly she became withdrawn from her friendship group and peers, and now she has inexplicable outbursts of anger and uncontrolled inappropriate laughter.
Assessments and interventions followed from diverse health and social care professionals - therapists, physiotherapists, speech and language therapists and behavioural and occupational therapists, along with psychology and education services - all trying to help Constance's family to understand what was going on. A range of diagnoses could have explained the deterioration in Constance's quality of life. One is Down's syndrome regression disorder, which is an autoimmune disease caused by the body's response to something, perhaps an infection. People with Down's syndrome, as most of us here know, have an additional chromosome. That particular chromosome - chromosome 21 - seems to increase the frequency of autoimmune diseases, infections and brain or neurological disorders. An analogy that has been used to help me understand this is that while most of us have a hearing aid listening to what is going on in our body, people with Down's syndrome have a satellite dish, so the body's response to a simple infection can be completely overwhelming. There are other similar conditions, including Down's syndrome disintegrative disorder and paediatric acute-onset neuropsychiatric syndrome, PANS. There are a number of other conditions. With some of them, symptoms can be mirrored in one another. Sometimes, these behaviours may also be confused with autism.
If the cause of the condition varies, so do the treatment and the pathway to recovery. Currently, as testing is determined by the observation of symptoms, a treatment for one condition may be trialled while the individual is undergoing other treatments and other testing for another condition. The crux of the whole matter, however, making it very confusing, is that recovery with the right treatment is possible for this. It is crucial, though, to get an accurate and timely diagnosis. Eighteen months on from the onset of her symptoms, Constance is still undergoing assessment under the leadership of an advanced nurse practitioner. This matters because treatment in the first two years of the onset of symptoms has been shown to have a dramatic and positive impact on the outcome for the person with Down's syndrome. I ask the House to imagine if any person with a learning delay or disability were to display symptoms of suddenly not being able to toilet or dress himself or herself and bursting into these uncontrollable fits of laughter. None of us would be expected to wait for 18 months not knowing what is going on.
How can we approach this in a way that ties in with the proper assessment and diagnosis of this under the Equal Status Act and Article 25 of the United Nations Convention on the Rights of Persons with Disabilities? People should have equal access to healthcare and appropriate diagnostic treatment. This is not a criticism of the excellent staff who have helped Constance, but something is wrong. We need to equip medical professionals to work with families in promptly recognising an issue with a child or young person's development and then swiftly moving on to assessment, diagnosis and treatment.
I know I am running out of time but I call on the Minister of State to work with the HSE and the Minister for Health to set up a task force to take in a number of different professionals together to look at Down's syndrome regression disorder. Since I have brought this up - I know you are giving me extra time, a Leas-Chathaoirligh - other concerned parents have contacted me about it. There is not enough research done about it. There is treatment available in other countries. Could people who are displaying these symptoms of Down's syndrome regression disorder be directed to proper treatments in other jurisdictions? I am sorry for going over time.
I thank the Senator for raising this important issue and for offering me the opportunity to respond. The Government is committed to advancing the rights and improving the lives of people with disabilities. We are working towards the vision of the United Nations Convention on the Rights of Persons with Disabilities. This translates into putting people with disabilities at the heart of the services, enabling independence and choice, and supporting them to participate in life and in the life of their community with access to the supports they need. To do this we need to deliver a real step change in disability services to make them easier to access, more person-centred, more responsive and tailored to the individual needs of those who use them.
While the large majority of people with disabilities access the services and supports they require through mainstream services, funding from the Department supports the approximately 80,000 people who access specialist community-based disability services provided by or on behalf of the HSE. These include services such as personal assistance, home support, day and residential services, respite services, multidisciplinary therapies for children and adults, as well as community neurorehabilitation services.
My Department has allocated €3.2 billion in funding for disability services delivered by or on behalf of the HSE. This is a record amount of funding and represents a €1.2 billion increase over 2020 levels. It demonstrates the Government’s strong commitment to enacting meaningful change in specialist disability services. In 2025, €333 million in additional funding over and above the 2024 budget has been allocated. This funding will provide for some natural demographic change in service demand and will go towards providing for the increased cost of providing services. It will also fund new developments under the action plan for disability services.
On the Senator's specific question, Down's syndrome regression disorder, DSRD, also referred to as regression, is a rare but serious disorder that occurs in some adolescents and young adults with Down's syndrome. Regression is used to describe the loss of skills an individual has previously learned. These skills can be daily living, language, movement or social skills. The loss is often sudden and occurs over a period of weeks or months. The cause of regression is thought to differ among individuals, and I understand there is ongoing research to look at causation and treatment options. The role of the HSE is to provide a multidisciplinary team approach, which includes the provision of health and personal supports required by people with Down's syndrome and Down's syndrome regression disorder, and it incorporates hospital, primary care and community services. It is important to note that specialist disability services are provided based on the presenting needs of an individual rather than a specific diagnosis. Services are provided following individual assessment according to the person’s individual requirements and care needs.
The majority, around 80%, of specialist disability provision is delivered through non-statutory sector service providers. The HSE works in partnership with organisations, including section 38, section 39, out-of-State and for-profit organisations, to ensure the best level of service possible is provided to people with a disability and their families, within the available resources. One of these organisations is Down Syndrome Ireland. This organisation has more than 3,000 members and 26 branches nationwide and provides a range of services, including early intervention and development programmes, mother and child groups, therapy services, employment opportunities, counselling and adult advocacy services. Down Syndrome Ireland has specialists in the areas of health, speech and language, early development, education and adult education and independence that enhance the lives of thousands of children and adults with Down's syndrome.
I am grateful for the work Down Syndrome Ireland does. I am also proud of the role my Department plays in providing supports for those with Down's syndrome and Down's syndrome regressive disorder, in tandem with the broader health and social care provision sector. I will be meeting with Down Syndrome Ireland today and I will raise this and get feedback from its representatives. I am also happy to engage with the HSE on this. As I have said, there is research happening in this area and my door is open to trying to progress access to services, especially for children and adults with Down's syndrome.
I thank the Minister of State. It is really good to hear such a positive response. With regard to delays in treatment, parents and experts are saying that if it is not treated within the first 18 months, the delays in treatment can lead to irreversible and permanent regression in people.
From speaking with parents of children who are displaying symptoms of Down's syndrome regression disorder, they are hoping that we could establish a task force that would encompass all the different professionals in the HSE and Down Syndrome Ireland. It would look to see what the best pathways for children and young people are to receive the required testing and acute diagnosis. If they are not available in this jurisdiction, can opportunities become available beyond our borders, whether privately or publicly, funded by the HSE or the Department of Health? Part of the theme of World Down Syndrome Day was to improve support systems. I know we are discussing a small cohort of people but this is a support system that could change their lives, because early intervention is crucial.
I thank the Senator again for raising the issue. The suite of supports that may be required for a person with Down's syndrome regression disorder can come from across the health and social care system, incorporating but not limited to supports from the mainstream healthcare system, such as hospital supports or primary care supports, as well as inputs from specialist disability services, depending on the presenting needs of the individual and the resulting appropriate care pathway. I am committed to ensuring that disability services are appropriately resourced to provide support for individuals who need them. I will raise it with Down Syndrome Ireland today and get feedback from its members about their lived experience with this.
Cuireadh an Seanad ar fionraí ar 11.17 a.m. agus cuireadh tús leis arís ar 11.32 a.m.
Sitting suspended at 11.17 a.m. and resumed at 11.32 a.m.