Kate O'Connell (Dublin Bay South, Fine Gael) | Oireachtas source

There were other witnesses here earlier who mentioned this two to three-year delay. There is a 90-minute assessment versus the 47-hour recommended under the National Institute for Health and Care Excellence, NICE, guidelines. I understand that could be classed as a pre-assessment. A witness who appeared before us earlier - I refer to Ms Gilhool, a parent - spoke of attending a parenting course before her child was assessed. These seem to be delaying tactics to fill in time while the child is being assessed. The issue for me and for many members is that if this critical window in a child's development is missed, it can never be got back. Have the witnesses made any financial or economic assessments of the implication of not intervening until a child is five, instead of when they are two years of age, the cost of filling that gap? Are there any figures on the economic and emotional cost of that to a family?

For the Chairman to say that the pathway in parts of the country is unclear is very challenging for people. Like him, I have worked in primary care and I too would not have any idea how to refer or help somebody. It must be absolutely heartbreaking for a parent to see their child regress after eventually getting through this pre-assessment, been on the waiting list and the parents going on the course, when they know there is something wrong with the child which requires an intervention that costs money and are not able to have it for two to three years. Do the witnesses think it acceptable for children in this country to be victimised or treated in such a way? I do not think we would leave an adult two or three years after being assessed. We would get away with that. Will the witnesses comment on the financial and other costs of delays for families, whether the 90-minute pre-assessment is being done anywhere else or is it an Irish solution to kick the can down the road, and the same for the parenting courses? Sending a parent on a course when there is no diagnosis or assessment of a child is just another way of filling in time.