Mr. Gareth Noble:

To add to that, families have often come to me about this issue. As a result of the way the models are configured, preschool children are dealt with by the early intervention team and are then transferred to the school-age team lists. For many parents, however, their children are never seen by the early intervention team before they age out. In addition to what Ms Comerford said about other lists, children must then join another waiting list for the school-age team, which relates to those over the age of six. Multiple lists are in play in this regard.

Ms Comerford made a good point about the review process. At the bottom of every assessment of need it is stated that the assessment is to be reviewed on X date. This is mostly ten months after the date of assessment. I have never once heard of a parent being contacted by the HSE liaison officer on the day the child was to be reviewed to invite them in for a review. It is only when the HSE is asked, and then the parent has to justify what further assessments might be needed. There is an old phrase "A week is a long time in politics", but it is a long time in the life of a young person and it is even longer when he or she has received no services through that 12-month period.