Holly Cairns (Cork South West, Social Democrats) | Oireachtas source

It is for the HSE. As regards staffing, it is obvious that there is a self-perpetuating issue. Under-resourced teams lead to over-stretched staff who believe they are not providing the care they wish to provide, feel they are being ethically compromised within their job and are limited in the work they can do with children. They migrate to other countries or go into private practice just to be able to do the jobs they are supposed to be doing. Unless there is a considerable plan to rapidly help staff teams, this situation will get worse, not better.

A related issue is how student therapists are treated. Many of them receive no remuneration for their internship or placement work. If we wish to retain these professionals as graduates, they need to be respected from day one. What plans are in place to properly recognise student therapists?

The absolute lack of communication and accountability is a significant concern. Family forums were supposed to be an important pillar of progressing disability services. What is the status of family forums? How many of them have been set up?

Deputy Ward raised the related issue of the HSE refusing management meetings with the Minister because it was not what the HSE referred to as "operationally feasible". What has changed? Why is it that one day it was not operationally feasible but the next day it was?

I have a question for Mr. Reid in respect of the national access policy referred to by the Minister of State. I ask him to outline how primary care has engaged constructively with the national access policy. How is that policy being tracked and monitored in terms of its effectiveness?

In her opening statement, the Minister of State referenced the need for a form of audit on how progressing disability services is being implemented across the country. I ask her to elaborate on what that would look like, how it would help and the timescale involved. As I stated, we are beyond the point of talking about the disaster. She mentioned that the buck stops with her. In her opening statement, she outlined some of the on-the-ground solutions. Will those solutions be implemented by the HSE? The concerns people have in respect of the disparity in the approach and the feeling among the general public in respect of the Minister being blocked need to be addressed. Will the on-the-ground solutions the Minister of State has be implemented by the HSE? I refer to her dedication that of the team?