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

I thank the Deputy for the opportunity to speak a little about assessment of need. Last September, under Sláintecare, we managed to get €7.8 million as a targeted fund to specifically address assessments of need. A plan was put in place between the Department and the HSE through the nine community healthcare organisations, CHOs, with each CHO director of services putting a plan in place for the 6,500 young people under 18 who needed an assessment of need. From September to date, 50% of that has been achieved, with more than 3,400 young people having an assessment of need delivered.

This was down to the initiative between the Department and the HSE in trying to use private providers over time and bringing back some redeployed staff who had been on testing and tracing duties. Even during the second wave of level 5 restrictions and again in the current wave, we are still managing to get assessments of need done. It has worked through the use of assisting technologies, as mentioned by the Minister, and there has been combined working between the section 38 and section 39 organisations. There has also been support from schools when they have been open. This month has been a little more of a challenge as we need on-school oversight. It is nevertheless going very well.

It is important to finish on this note. All the assessments of need for CHO 1 have been completed and I hope that in March two more CHOs will achieve the same target. When we use targeted funding in combination between the Department and the HSE, we can really see the end result in this type of success.