Michael Harty (Clare, Independent)
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Patient testimony is very important. We heard testimony from a parent on behalf of the patient this morning. There is a huge gap, two to three years, between the assessment and the service being delivered. That is where the system is breaking down. In general practice, I would have no idea whatsoever how to navigate the system. I receive reports from therapists but, apart from that, I have no influence on how a child accesses a service. None of my colleagues in the mid-west would know how to do it. There is no pathway. We would not be aware of any pathway and we do not have the possibility of referring people to the appropriate pathway.