Patrick Costello (Dublin South Central, Green Party)
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The families I meet and talk to and who are in touch with my office are crying out for services. They have fought to get the assessment and now they have to fight again. They do not have fight left. They are broken with grief for their children and for the lack of services their children are getting. They feel that they and their children are invisible and are just not getting the services they need. They have no faith in the children's disability network teams, CDNTs. There is no point in me mincing my words. I know that the Minister of State, Deputy Rabbitte, is aware of this, and that she has been spoken to directly on it, but I have to represent them and ask what it is we are doing. Is there enough money in this? Are the structures right? I am aware that the Minister of State has a plan here but it is not being felt yet on the ground.

On the recruitment of staff, I wish to pick up on the Office of the Disability Appeals Officer, which I have asked about recently via a parliamentary question. The person who was in post recently retired. I am glad that, according to the Minister of State's reply, a replacement is under way. Will this person be working more than the two days that the recently retired person was working? I am particularly conscious of the build-up of appeals while we are waiting for a person for this post. Is one person doing two days really enough for such an important job? If the Department is looking to recruit staff, can it recruit more people for this very important national role?