Ms Lorraine Dempsey:

There is an issue in terms of carrying out assessments of need. Children who require assessments by psychologists tend to need an in-room assessment.

Directives for interaction with children have focused on remote interaction. Certain types of things cannot be carried out remotely. I am aware that the HSE is looking at other means to carry out those things. There is a delay for children going through the statutory assessment of needs process whereby it cannot be completed, either because all relevant therapists are unavailable due to redeployment or because the assessment itself required them to meet the child in person, which was proving problematic, particularly in the early months of Covid. Face-to-face engagement has started but is probably at a very low level, given that some staff have been redeployed. There are existing shortages and waiting lists we already know about, but all of that is being compounded by Covid and restrictions on interactions.