Tom Clonan (Independent)

I apologise, because I had to attend the health committee meeting this morning and I have to return. Apologies, I do not mean to be rude and in that context, forgive me if my questions are redundant because I am at a disadvantage in not having heard either the presentations or the questions and answers previously.

Taking up the question of assessment of need because it is great to have members of the multidisciplinary team here in front of the committee. In other jurisdictions an assessment of need is routinely carried out for all disabled citizens. In fact, in other jurisdictions in the European Union and places like Australia, an assessment of need will be repeated every two or five years, depending on the developmental stage of a child or young adult. Since this Government has come into power, I have heard interviews given by the Minister of State, Deputy Naughton, for example, on Virgin Media's morning programme where she suggested the right to an assessment of need in the Disability Act is causing all the problems in providing services for disabled children. She asserted in her interview that it was so time consuming and using up so many resources that the assessment of need was the problem and was getting in the way of providing services.

I also heard the Minister, Deputy Foley, in her remarks, state the Government in this term will revisit the right to an assessment of need. My own view on this is every child should have the right to an assessment of need but they should also have a right to everything set out in that assessment of need within the therapeutic timeframe. That is my question for the witnesses. Do they believe we should revoke the right to an assessment of need or would they be of the view that it is routine? It is best practice in other jurisdictions so why are we not doing it here?

Having the therapies on site in an inclusive educational setting is consistent with the social model, but regarding the basic medical model, I have been informed that, at present, there are no speech and language therapy services or therapists in the Central Remedial Clinic, CRC - none. Is that reflective of the general situation regarding recruitment and retention, and do the witnesses have any observations as to why that might be the case?