Aengus Ó Snodaigh (Dublin South Central, Sinn Fein)
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1015. To ask the Minister for Children, Equality, Disability, Integration and Youth if parents of children with disability, educational or psychological assessments who pay for such assessments privately to try and overcome a public service waiting list for such an assessment can recoup the costs of such an assessment; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [27119/23]

Anne Rabbitte (Galway East, Fianna Fail)
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As this refers to service matters, I have asked the Health Service Executive (HSE) to respond to the Deputy directly, as soon as possible.

Aengus Ó Snodaigh (Dublin South Central, Sinn Fein)
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1016. To ask the Minister for Children, Equality, Disability, Integration and Youth if there is any legislative or policy impediment preventing private, not-for profit, voluntary services delivering care or services on behalf of the State for children with additional educational needs accepting disability, educational or psychological assessments which have been paid for by parents privately, or if there is a framework list of such private psychologists and so on from which they must access such assessments; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [27121/23]

Anne Rabbitte (Galway East, Fianna Fail)
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I am assuming that the Deputy is referring to the ability of parents to obtain an assessment of need from the HSE, the current challenges around same and the alternative avenues that may be explored by parents to accelerate the assessment process for their children.

Form a Departmental perspective, there is no direct impediment that would prevent children from accessing care of services via the means outlined in the Deputy's question. However, I am aware that the HSE has it's own clinical guidance which governs the submission of external assessments for the purpose of the AON process, particularly in the context of the multidisciplinary nature of the assessment of need.

In this regard, and to provide the most comprehensive answer possible on the issue, I have asked the Health Service Executive (HSE) to respond to the Deputy directly, as soon as possible.