Oireachtas Joint and Select Committees

Tuesday, 15 December 2020

Joint Oireachtas Committee on Children and Youth Affairs

Children's Unmet Needs: Engagement with Minister of State at the Department of Children, Disability, Equality, Integration and Youth

Photo of Anne RabbitteAnne Rabbitte (Galway East, Fianna Fail) | Oireachtas source

On the backlog and the SOP, the reason I sought the funding was that, as of 30 June, there were 6,500 children on a backlog and only a very small proportion related to the SOP at all. They were historical. They were not sick for three or six months but for nine or 12 months. That is primarily what the funding was for. The proportion of those on the SOP was minute. The first would have gone on in June because it only came in on 1 January. There would be children who are only six months on it, but the majority was the backlog.

I agree on the therapeutic services. I totally understand parents' frustration, and there is no doubt of that, that a therapist could be out contact tracing or swabbing. It is unacceptable that it would have continued for so long. There are still people on it, but between the disability teams and the primary care team, 189 therapists are still part of it. They are not on contact tracing now, but they are on swabbing. When I came into office, the number was twice that if not a hell of a lot more. It has reduced considerably. I met with Paul Reid on 5 October on the issue and met with the Minister for Health, Deputy Donnelly, twice on the matter. There has been a recruitment plan to address it and get the clinicians back to the front line of doing what they are supposed to. I have acknowledged the frustration, which all members of the committee and every parent speak of.

The current target to enact the optional protocol is 2022.

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