Joe Flaherty (Longford-Westmeath, Fianna Fail) | Oireachtas source

I welcome the Minister of State and wish her well in what is a busy portfolio. I am conscious that some of my contribution will cross over into the responsibility of her colleague, the Minister of State, Deputy Rabbitte, but both areas of responsibility come together with a common purpose in the betterment of our children.

Notwithstanding the Minister of State's legislation that the Dáil will be debating tomorrow, all educators in special education are wholeheartedly enthusiastic and value its place within the school system. It is important to note that several schools have been crying out for special education classes but have been struggling to get them. I am aware of a school in my area that had been chasing the NCSE for a letter of authorisation and only received it on the last day of term this year. It now has to scramble to get the classroom ready for the pupils. That level of response from the NCSE is not good enough. I hope that the Minister of State and her team can take some action on it.

I will follow up on an issue that Senator Ardagh mentioned, that being, children awaiting a diagnosis. We have a problem in children's disability network 8, CDN 8, in Longford, which probably has the largest number of children per capitaawaiting diagnosis in the country. As of 1 July, we had 186 children awaiting diagnostic screening and assessment for autism, the average waiting time was 31 months, and 37 children had been waiting for longer than 48 months. Per capita, that is probably the worst figure in the country. The Minister of State has acknowledged the significant challenges in trying to recruit therapists for these services. Currently, there are 4.5 vacancies in the Longford centre. Two of those are speech and language therapists. Most ironically of all, 0.8 of those posts is being filled through a speech and language therapist from an agency. I have made a proposal, supported by the schools in the area, to the Minister of State, Deputy Rabbitte, that we consider allocating emergency funding to allow the schools to source private therapy providers and bring them into the schools. There is a fundamental issue with the service in Longford. I am conscious of my speaking time, so is this something that the Minister of State, Deputy Madigan, will give consideration to with the Minister of State, Deputy Rabbitte, given the severity of the crisis in Longford, as highlighted by the figures I have provided?