Louth teen being subjected to 'ping-pong scenario' by health services

The case of Cooley teenager Senan Maguire was raised in Leinster House last week, on World Autism Day, by Louth TD Ruairí Ó Murchú, who said the 13-year-old is being subjected to a “ping-pong scenario” by health services.

The Sinn Féin spokesperson on disability secured a Topical Issue on the case, which was also highlighted in the Sunday Independent two weeks ago. Deputy Ó Murchú outlined how Senan, from Grange, Carlingford, who has autism and suspected PTSD following the death of his sister, has also recently been excluded from his school.

He said: “Parents David, Tina and the wider family have all gone through huge stress due to the lack of support. We must try to bridge the gap in some way and, in the long term, put a proper system in place. Senan is currently out of school. That is something that must be addressed. We all know there is a wider issue relating to school places. Experts have stated that Senan is suffering from post-traumatic syndrome disorder, PTSD.

“Unfortunately, the family have gone through a ping-pong scenario, which many other people have experienced, whereby issues are bounced between the CDNT, CAMHS and CAMHS-ID, which deals with intellectual disability. It is always a case of no room at the inn.” 

He said two parliamentary questions that he received responses to in February and March did not give any indication as to when Senan will receive the services he needs.

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Deputy Ó Murchú said: “We are talking about a situation that has been going on for years. It was raised by Gerry Adams when he was a TD, long before my time. I have buckets of correspondence and I am aware the family has an even greater amount of it. In 2021, when they were dealing with the CDNT, they were promised speech and language therapy, which did not happen.”

In response to Deputy Ó Murchú, Minister of State Mary Butler said she is focusing on the problems that arise when children need disability services and CAMHS and they are not getting either. She said a recently published three year plan for youth mental health services “sets out a roadmap to ensure all children and families have the pathway we have discussed.”

Deputy Ó Murchú said the multidisciplinary team needs to be set up as soon as possible for Senan as his family “has been failed over many years”. 

He said the government should focus on providing a “one stop shop” so “families go through one place and the services are provided as they are best suited”. He said the autism protocol means would be no ping pong between the CDNT or primary care and CAMHS and this needs to happen.

Deputy Ó Murchú said: “It also needs to be ensured that all the teams are in place because a family cannot be failed because it fits in a certain box but the team is not in place. That is not forgivable in any way, shape or form.”