Frances Black (Independent) | Oireachtas source

From my experience with the RISE Foundation, I totally agree with regard to online services. We deal with families who are impacted because someone they love has an addiction problem. An awful lot of family members come to the RISE Foundation with mental health issues. Initially, we would not have thought online consultations would have worked but they are actually working better from a therapeutic point of view. The foundation has fully qualified therapists and the service is working better from a therapeutic point of view, whether it is one to one, a group dynamic or aftercare. It is definitely working, which was a real eye-opener for us, and it expands our services countrywide. People do not have to travel from Donegal anymore, for example. They can avail of our services in their homes now. We find that very beneficial. It is one of the ways forward but, obviously, it does not suit everyone.

More and more people are being diagnosed with attention deficit hyperactivity disorder, ADHD. This is an area in which I have a specific interest. Many of these diagnoses are of adults who suffered greatly in educational or workplace settings because their needs were not recognised. This definitely demonstrates the importance of early diagnosis. Will the witnesses tell me a little more about the assessment, diagnosis, management initiation, research and education, ADMIRE, ADHD pathway? What level of demand is there for this service and is it adequately resourced?