Dessie Ellis (Dublin North West, Sinn Fein)
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I thank Dr. O'Leary and Ms Moran for their input. Dr. O'Leary mentions that the roadmap for service improvements. That was published in October 2023 and includes supports to enhance responses to children and young people with complex needs for them and their families because of their disability. Under the roadmap, an interdepartmental oversight group has been established, chaired by the Minister. Can they give us some insight into what this oversight group is and who represents them? I am just curious. The Minister may be chairing it, but have there been many meetings and what have been the outcomes?

Dr. O'Leary mentioned disability reconfiguration. What are the challenges, because there are lengthy waiting lists, a high staff turnover and embargoes, and there are children waiting on assessments? In my own area, in CHO 9, it takes two years or more to see a team which is absolutely crazy because we need early intervention. I am aware of a good number of people in my own area in that boat. It is very unfair.

Can the witnesses also tell us what engagement is taking place with the disabled persons representative organisations, DPROs? We are constantly getting the message that disabled persons organisations, DPOs, are being left out but that the bigger representative groups are being heard. What engagement do the witnesses have with individual people with disabilities?

The waiting lists in different areas for speech and language and autism assessments tend to vary. It is quite worrying that it can be fairly fast in some areas and delivered reasonably quickly but in other areas it is slow with long waiting lists. How do we close that gap? Part of the action plan was to give us an avenue to close those gaps. Is it down to recruitment? Recruitment is a major issue, but it is not everything. Retention is another issue. We need to keep people in their roles as best we can. Perhaps the witnesses could give us some insights.