Ms Fiona Walsh:

In Australia now with NDIS it is done through private therapists. Someone might identify a speech and language therapist who is a specialist in eye-gaze technology and decide to see that speech and language therapist rather than one in the local area. That person can then decide that from their budget €130 a week will go towards that speech and language therapist. I do not know if that model could be used here. The only access to services we have is to go privately, which was part of the consideration in moving to Cork where there are private services. There is a great market for them because access to public services is so poor. Much of that is down to the population here. It is a big city and everything is oversubscribed, including the waiting lists for schools. There are many kids with disabilities but we just do not see them very often because like us they are hidden in the home much of the time.