Rónán Mullen (Independent) | Oireachtas source

I want to raise the issue of mental health and NEPS. The Minister referred to this briefly earlier. It was already an issue before we ever had a pandemic. There was pressure on the system and schools' ability to access the system and have assigned psychologists affects their ability to determine the needs of children with special needs, or indeed where there are behavioural issues. The possibility for delay within the system was already a problem. In light of the pandemic and all that we hear about mental health and the associated challenges, and with the pressures on children with special needs in particular because of the lack of engagement and the acute nature of the pandemic challenge for some, where are we now regarding the operation of NEPS? In the context of the ability of NEPS to grapple with the challenge that was already there, to paraphrase the words of U2, is it getting better or is it still the same?