Mr. Colm ? Conaill:

I thank Deputy Canney for some very good and interesting questions. Before I ask my colleague, Mr. Doran, to talk about the interface between primary care and the children's disability network teams, I will pick up on the point about the new responsibilities in our Department and the HSE. The first point is that there are no changes on the ground, to the extent that services will not be changed or shifted out of the HSE. The HSE will be funded and it will deliver some services, and most disability services will continue to be delivered. The vast majority of disability services are delivered by voluntary organisations. That is not going to change. What is changing is policy. There will be increased oversight and attention at a departmental level, with disability having transferred to our Department, compared to where it was before with the Department of Health. That is the entire rationale for the transfer and that is what we will make happen. Deputy Canney's question was a very good one in terms of seeing changes from a departmental level right through onto the ground. We are engaging at the moment on the PDS roadmap. It is the number one priority, as was clearly stated yesterday evening in this room by the Minister, Deputy O'Gorman and the Minister of State, Deputy Rabbitte. It is being finalised by the HSE. There is strong feedback from the two Ministers who want to see credible action delivered and scaled as rapidly as possible. I am in this area.

When people with disabilities in Ireland access services and supports, most of them will receive mainstream services. That is the overwhelming proportion of people with disabilities in Ireland. Not only will there be no change in terms of the HSE responsibility, but while we are looking to see a change in approach from the HSE it will still be responsible and we will be interacting with it. Most adults and children with disabilities will continue to interact with mainstream services. Primary care is the first port of call for parents who have concerns, are unsure, or want more information before they engage with more specialist services.

I will hand over to Mr. Doran to talk about the national access policy and the interface between primary care and more specialised services for children with greater and more complex needs in the disability area.