Jennifer Carroll MacNeill (Dún Laoghaire, Fine Gael) | Oireachtas source

I only want to discuss therapeutic services for autistic children. What will be done to try to make sure that people are getting assessments of need and the therapeutic services that they need? In my constituency, I have one child whose parents were told by the HSE that there was an assessment of need done on 10 May 2021. I questioned the parents about this and they were confused because no assessment had been done. However, I appreciate the letter I received from the HSE on 18 May that acknowledges that disability services acknowledged the error in the previous response that stated an assessment of need was completed on 10 May 2021. This assessment did not take place and disability services apologised for the error. The parents know the assessment did not take place because they are the parents of the child. They are looking for the assessment to get a diagnosis in order that they can get therapeutic services and get the child into a school where the child will get the support that they need, as well as all of the therapeutic services that might make the child and the parents' lives easier as they try to navigate life with autism. That is a problem which I hope Mr. Reid will acknowledge.