Joan Collins (Dublin South Central, Independents 4 Change) | Oireachtas source

I have a few questions to ask which have been touched on already by other Deputies and Senators, particularly the one around the annual ministerial statement to the Dáil. I see the need for that. It is something this committee has to discuss in detail and put a huge emphasis on in the report we will bring out. Ms Gibney emphasised that point well.

I will touch on the points made by Dr. Muldoon and the reports from the Ombudsman for Children: Unmet Needs, Plan for Places and Mind the Gap. At the end of 2011, the State decided to water down the required assessment of need, AON. Subsequently, the courts struck it down and thousands of assessments had to be redone, greatly extending waiting lists for the AON. Recently, due to a decision by the High Court, the NCSE decided to pass on the educational element of the AON to principals, assistant principals and teachers. It was done on a pilot basis up to Christmas. My understanding is that an educational therapist or whatever should be doing the AON. I have spoken to representatives of AsIAm on that, and they feel the same. We look at human rights needs and legislation and in the implementation of that legislation, the State sometimes waters down the interpretation of the legislation to get things done.

Dr. Muldoon mentioned doing things in a hurry and not dealing with a five- or ten-year plan. I do not know if there will be challenges with that. Has Dr. Muldoon had many complaints about it, potential cases in the future or whatever? The implications of the 2011 watering-down of the AON on people, families, children etc. and of not implementing the legislation as intended will cause a lot of problems. I acknowledge the witnesses cannot intervene in respect of recruitment and retention of therapists and in respect of CDNTs but in our area, there are staff vacancies in CDNT 3, Armagh Road.

That team includes one full-time senior physiotherapist, one staff grade physiotherapist, one senior occupational therapist, 0.4 senior psychologists, 0.6 senior social workers and 0.5 senior psychologists. The team will lose two more therapists in the next couple of weeks. Even with assessments of need, we do not have the services. Do our guests have a strong opinion on the inclusion in the legislation a right to access services as a requirement? It is those aspects on which I would like feedback.