Ms Breda Crehan-Roche:

I thank the Deputy. It is vital that the early intervention school-age, nought-to-six and six-to-18, teams are one streamlined service. If we can have the teams colocating, even better. It is important when we move from a young child to adolescence to a young adult that there is proper planning and that it dovetails in order that people work together and with the family on what that child will require. In the west, for example, which the Deputy knows very well, we have nine network teams and we will have all nine absolutely implemented and in place by the end of this quarter, that is, the end of June. We are working with the HSE and the likes of the Brothers of Charity, Ability West, special schools and special classes, Western Care Association and Enable Ireland. We are pooling our resources in order that there are therapists working together and getting advice from their colleagues, not working in silos on their own. I am thinking of schools like Ábalta, which the Deputy will know well. Ábalta has 0.2 of a speech and language therapist, which is one day a week, and 0.2 of an occupational therapist, OT, and they will be left in place. They will have access in the progressing disability services and children's network teams, which will be led by the Brothers of Charity, to more than 26 whole-time equivalents. Those are people such as speech and language therapists, OTs, behavioural specialists and physios, again depending on what the child needs.

The Deputy referred to when a parent finds out his or her child has different needs. Informing families is certainly very important. The committee will be aware that work was carried out by the National Federation of Voluntary Bodies, funded by the HSE, in terms of how best to inform families. The Deputy is quite right that people may find it difficult and that it can take time. We are on that journey with them because this is about the child and the family. Their interests are paramount and first and foremost. We need to consider and work with people and listen to their fears and needs. The will and preference of the young adult or adolescent will, of course, be taken into account. Families know their child best and we are on the journey with them to enable them and their child to reach their full potential and to work with the various elements and services and pool those resources to get the maximum for the person and ensure he or she will live a valued life. That is the important thing.