Anne Rabbitte (Galway East, Fianna Fail)
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On the UN process, to be fair to the HSE it tries to do both an intervention and an assessment. Clearly, the capacity requirement means that when there is not enough staff, it is very hard to do both. That is why the funding that has been sought is for the long-waiters. There are also resources to access private capacity. That is there to do it. As I said to Senator O'Loughlin, a percentage basis has been put on all the different CHOs for all they need to achieve with the money that has been allocated for long-waiters. I am looking at two sets of figures. Of the overall figure of 10,000, every CHO should deliver 3,200 assessments as part and parcel of, and within, its current staffing requirements. I am also looking at the long-waiter list. Two lots of lists are being addressed.

It appears that there is capacity out there. Deputy Tully hit on a very important point. Within the public system, it takes up to 36 hours to do an assessment, but nobody questions the timeline or how long it takes to do an assessment in the private sector. It is a conversation that once private assessments are within the framework, the funding will be paid once the assessment is provided. That framework is devised by the HSE. It ensures that people have the right CORU regulation and registration, and have the experience to be able to do those assessments of need. Once they fit into that framework, nobody queries the length of time it takes to do it. One thing is certain, however. The delivery of assessments within the public sector is, on average, 30 to 36 hours per child. That is the standard.

The way the system is developing is unfortunate. As we do not have enough staff and needs are building up, more of an ask is coming to the private sector to deliver. That ask is driving the system within the private sector as opposed to getting the public sector more developed. We need to crack the nut on that.