Ms Anne Tansey:

I suppose it might be important to say that NEPS does not diagnose autism. That is just one thing to say. The diagnoses are generally made by multidisciplinary teams that are operated within the HSE services.

In terms of what NEPS does and the services NEPS provides in schools and the in-school service, as we said earlier on, the lack of a diagnosis does not preclude a child from accessing the services that are available within the school setting.

As to the linkages between education and health, my colleague, Ms McGrath, in the National Council for Special Education, NCSE, and I engage frequently with our colleagues in the HSE with a view to streamlining services to try to ensure that the services provided for children are streamlined across health and education.