Alan Dillon (Mayo, Fine Gael)
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Certain CHOs are better than others when it comes to delivering assessments of need. Some of them exceed the legislative wait times. Access to therapeutics and practitioners constitute the real issue around the CDNTs. I know there are huge constraints in the labour market in terms of recruiting teams in each of the areas. Perhaps the question I am about to ask is for the Department. Would it consider funding schools to deliver therapies or private services for those with a level of need? There are budgets that have been locked up within the Department and that have not been spent due to a lack of therapies. Would it be better for schools and the Department to administer that funding? I accept that there is an issue with private practice and the regulation relating to it, but surely we can find a mechanism for families to use money that has been allocated through the Estimates process and funnel it down to a level where it can be used on the ground.