Mr. Mark Darmody:

I will come in again because that is very technical. Let us talk about the reality. The parent applies for the assessment of need. Where we are from in Tipperary, that takes 48 months, so straight away, parents have to put that to one side like it is not going on. Eventually, there will be a knock on their door. Now they have to get a private psychologist to get their child into a school. That is the reality of what is going on.

I will give a simple example of what is wrong. In both our sons’ cases, the HSE paid for that private assessment. I have brought this previously to the Oireachtas Members here. It is so wrong that there is one rule for the Darmodys' two children and everyone else has to pay for a private assessment.