The parents of four autistic children who health authorities have sought to put in State care said last night they had been asked to undergo a psychiatric assessment.
Padraig and Mary O'Hara met with the Health Service Executive (North Eastern Area) in Kells, Co Meath, yesterday and agreed to proposals that they undergo an assessment in the coming weeks.
In the meantime their children, aged between four and 16 years of age, will continue to stay in respite care.
"We're trying to keep strong, trying to maintain as much normality as possible. We hope this will all be over soon. We're focused on getting our children back," Mrs O'Hara said.
"They want Padraig and I to undergo a full psychiatric assessment. We said we would, absolutely. We want it done as soon as possible but they say it will take a few weeks.
"We've no fear, they asked for a psychiatric assessment 18 months ago, and that was fine. We're not afraid of anything. We have to do it, and that's the way things are."
The Health Service Executive (North Eastern Area) was last night unavailable for comment.
It stated last weekend that it could not comment on the case except to say that under the Childcare Act it had an obligation to ensure the safety and welfare of children.
There was a stand-off outside the family's home in Kells on Friday night after gardaí and social workers arrived with a care order seeking to commit the children to health board care.
After negotiations between the family's solicitor and health authorities, the family agreed to voluntarily place their children in respite care until the issue was resolved.
The O'Haras gave media interviews last week complaining about the lack of official support as they struggled to look after their children.
More than 100 people, including parents of children with autism, protested outside the North Eastern Area headquarters of the HSE and criticised the approach of the health authority towards the O'Hara family.
MEP and disability rights campaigner Kathy Sinnott said the treatment of the family was unacceptable and said parents should not have to fight the health service and Government for access to basic services for their children.
The North Eastern Autism Support Group, an umbrella group for parents of autistic children in the area, also criticised the treatment of the family who, they said, have been crying out for help.
Mrs O'Hara said she had been in contact with health workers looking after her two youngest children, who spent the weekend in a residential unit.
One of the children did not go to school yesterday, she was told, because he was upset.
The parents said last night they wanted the psychiatric assessment to be carried out as soon as possible.
Mrs O'Hara said they had been asked to undergo a psychiatric assessment at the request of the health board a year and a half ago which, she said, had not raised any issue.
A separate psychological report the couple commissioned from a UK consultant clinical psychologist in October 2004 concluded that both father and mother were "devoted parents".
The report reads: "I conclude that Mrs O'Hara does not suffer from any developmental or underlying mental health or psychological problems which would affect her parenting of her children. She has always enjoyed being a mother and the children have been the highlight of her life."
