Jennifer Murnane O'Connor (Carlow-Kilkenny, Fianna Fail)
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I thank Dr. Noreen O’Leary and Ms Geraldine Moran for coming before the committee today. It is very important for all of us in our areas. I am in CHO 5 and I work with parents who are waiting for their child to be assessed. Parents simply are at breaking point. I have had parents come into my office who actually were crying because they were waiting for assessments and were trying to get their child into a special class. At this stage, there needs to be radical change. Our guests are right. In the absence of this radical change, the families and children are really being affected. I am really worried about this.

Yesterday, in Carlow, the HSE held a family forum, which it is now doing. It just happened that I was at a meeting in Carlow of a group which is setting up autism heroes. It is a new group that has been set up by a lady who has come home from Australia and who has seen the Australian model. I note Ms Moran spoke about the Australian model. She now has been home for two years and her child still has not been assessed. Her child has been waiting for two years for an assessment. It is not really good for him either and he is losing out.

While I need to get this clarified, my understanding is that the Minister of State, Deputy Rabbitte, is making proposals whereby parents can now get their child assessed privately and can claim back the money. Is that true?