Ms Maria Hodson:

What we outsource is clinical assessments rather than a full assessment of need. Once the clinical assessment, which might be done by a physiotherapist, is done, it has to go back to the HSE and an assessment officer still has to review it. Then they will take account of the education report to do the completed assessment. That is where a lot of the time comes in. The three- or four-hour assessment is not the final assessment of need.