Joan Collins (Dublin South Central, Independents 4 Change)
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I know the Minister of State has been doing a lot to try to get services up to scratch. At the end of the day, that is what we really want to hear. This is where we get most queries from families. As the previous Deputy said, it is impossible to go back to parents without any information. Two weeks ago, the Dublin 12 autism group organised a round table for families to speak to Deputies to explain their situation with their children. Of eight parents, six of them had paid for private assessment of needs, cognitive assessments, mobility classes and speech and language therapy, which costs €130 per term.

The Minister of State indicated that there is a gap of 743 therapists in the system. Her concept is to bring more trainees in to fill the gaps and get them trained on campus. Does that figure of 743 relate to both CDNTs and schools? Schools have considerable problems in accessing therapists and behavioural therapists. Will the Minister of State go into that in more detail? She spoke about outsourcing access to therapy. Will she expand on that? I wish to know exactly what she is thinking of. I do not want to see something like the national treatment purchase fund develop for children who need access to therapy and assessment of needs.