Liam Quaide (Cork East, Social Democrats)

I am conscious of the time. I thank the Minister for that response. I agree with some of what the Minister said. There is a lot of concern about the potential change to the right to an assessment of need, because it is the one right that is legally enshrined at the moment. I also believe that many families are getting stuck in that avenue unnecessarily, but the reason they are getting stuck is that the therapies are not resourced enough. A lot of families are seeking out an assessment of need when they might benefit more from timely therapeutic assessment in the primary care services, and timely intervention after that. As we know, an assessment of need is only useful insofar as it is an access point to interventions.

On that theme, has the Minister engaged with the Minister for Health, Deputy Carroll MacNeill, on the crisis in primary care services for young people, which impinges on both Departments? I know it comes under the Department of Health for funding, but there is a strong interplay between health and disability. It is for this reason that we are going to have a joint session of the two committees on this crisis. I say that because a significant part of the crisis in primary care occurred historically, and some more recently, due to a large number of children being transferred from CDNTs to primary care waiting lists in the rollout of Progressing Disability Services. That was not followed by the necessary recruitment. There has been a very strong political focus on CDNTs. It is true to say that recruitment restrictions have not been applied in the same way to CDNTs, which is welcome, but the neglect of primary care services actually deepened in that context. As much as it is not officially in the Minister's area, it is very important that both Departments are working together. There are many children on primary care waiting lists who have developed mental health issues, and they may even meet the criteria for disability. All of this is interconnected.