Ms Angela O'Neill:

The important point to keep in mind is that the Disability Act gives an entitlement to an assessment rather than an intervention. If any of us are parents of children with disabilities, it is interventions that we want. The assessment is only a means to get an intervention. If the Disability Act creates a situation wherein all of our resources are being directed towards assessing children, we will be doing children a disservice because we are using scarce resources to assess to the detriment of providing intervention.

As other witnesses have said, it is not all about throwing money at the problem. Rather, it is a question of attracting graduates, filling posts and having suitably qualified and experienced staff available to provide supports for children and families. We are now in a difficult position where we have to balance the requirements of the Act with what we know families want and need, namely, interventions and appropriate supports for their children. The challenge for us over the coming weeks will be to find a system that meets our obligations under the Act while prioritising the provision of interventions for children with disabilities.