Child Poverty
Dail Éireann — 2026-04-21
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Ruairí Ó Murchú (SF), Louth

The issue of child poverty can be exacerbated by disability. I want to bring up the case of 14-year-old Harry. He is non-verbal and has been diagnosed with ASD, ADHD and general moderate learning disability. He has been in University Hospital Limerick, UHL, since 30 March. He is in a state of extreme distress and is engaging in daily self-injurious behaviour. He is confined to a single hospital room under 24-hour supervision by security guards. This is a medical setting. Timber blocks have been installed on windows to prevent escape. This is a repeat of a 2022 incident where Harry was similarly marooned in UHL due to lack of appropriate HSE disability provision. He has been in a full-time disability service run by RehabCare for the past four years. He was put in a temporary Red House facility in Limerick on 11 February 2026. On 30 March, he escaped this, barefoot, releasing fire exits and climbing gates. He was on the main road. He was, and is, in a situation that is not appropriate. The family cannot get sufficient communication from the HSE. We need a solution to this situation.

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Record URI: https://data.oireachtas.ie/akn/ie/debateRecord/dail/2026-04-21/debate/main
Retrieved: 2026-09-21T01:01:08+00:00
Sitting date: 2026-04-21