David Cullinane (Waterford, Sinn Fein) | Oireachtas source

I am not expecting Mr. O'Brien to be aware of the detail in every locality, but I will give him some figures because I am building a picture. I have been told by Mr. O'Brien's staff that those aged between zero and six years are waiting on average for 18 months to see an occupational therapist and that those aged between six and 18 years are waiting three years. The number of dietician posts is 0.5 in Waterford and Wexford. There is a shortage of physiotherapists. I am being told that children aged from zero to six years in need of early intervention are simply not receiving the services they should be receiving in parts of the country because of capacity problems. There are some services for those aged between 16 and 18 years that are not being provided at all. What I am trying to figure out is if this is an ongoing problem in terms of recruitment, how it is not being addressed. It has been ongoing for years. I have been hearing about these problems for years and I am trying to figure out what funding solutions are being put in place and what policy solutions are in place to deal with them.