Roderic O'Gorman (Dublin West, Green Party)
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I thank the Senator for his contribution and for speaking so clearly to the reality for so many parents and children and adults with disabilities. The Minister of State, Deputy Rabbitte, and I absolutely recognise delays and the failure to provide services in a timely manner are having a massive impact on lives and on the ability of both children and adults to live the full lives they could enjoy. The Senator has spoken to the supports in place in other European countries that enable that to happen. I take it back to the reason we are embarking upon splitting disability out from the Department of Health and bringing it to my Department, which is that we are also the Department with responsibility for equality and for children and we have that rights-focused approach. By having it in my Department we can have a more rights-focused approach to the issue of disability and ensure we are not just seeing it through a health lens. That change is not going to happen overnight but it is an important first step towards a structural change in how we approach the issue. On the tangible change that is going to deliver for people, I always try to be as honest as I can because the scale of the challenge here is so big. Again, that is not going to happen overnight. Even if we just focus on children's disability services, there is a very significant issue with retention and recruitment. I have been familiarising myself with this and once it fully falls within my remit I will be able to come out more clearly on the changes I will make and work with the HSE to deliver.

The Senator spoke about the probable timelines of this Government. I am not someone who is going to promise there will be huge change by the end of the lifetime of this Government but I want us on a pathway towards change with waiting times coming down and the gaps in CDNTs beginning to be filled and more of them having the requisite number of therapists.

The Senator asked a very specific question about the consultant contract and the Department of Health. I am reluctant to go there because I am not the line Minister and cannot speak with the degree of precision that would be required. I will come back to the point later on about leadership and new approaches but I am very happy to see Bernard Gloster in the HSE because I know his commitment. Before I became Minister there was much criticism of Tusla as an organisation, and I have seen it transform over the last two and a half years. There is a lot of work still to go but it has transformed as an organisation and much of that has been led by Bernard. I have confidence in him taking on the role. As great as the scale of the job of CEO of the HSE is, I will be there saying to him that he needs to be looking at disability and that will be our job in the Department.

I cannot give the Senator an answer to the specific question on when there will be ratification. I want it within the lifetime of this Government and that is what I seek to achieve and what I am working to achieve. It is what all of us within Government want. The Senator put forward his critique of what we say in terms of the scoping exercise and I hear it. That will take place and I hope, when that comes in at Easter, to have a clearer sense of when we will be able to ratify. The Senator may be critical of the outcome of that when the time comes but from our engagement with the Attorney General and the Department of Foreign Affairs, we feel that process needs to take place. I am happy to come back to the committee once that is done and we can talk about that in more general terms.

To come back to the Senator's final question on the delays in service, I recognise they are not acceptable. I am aware from meeting constituents and talking to mams and dads of the impact they see on their kids and also on the whole family. The strain of trying to support a child with a disability has a wider impact. It is having a major impact on families all over the country. There are many issues in disability but the core goal myself and the Minister of State, Deputy Rabbitte, have in the time we have is that focus on services for young people and looking to enhance the delivery of those.