Kathleen Lynch (Cork North Central, Labour)

The amendment is sensible. A person with disabilities would meet an assessment officer who would draw up a service statement. A liaison officer would not be sitting outside the door of the assessment officer so that he or she could immediately act on the service statement. The proposed system would cause delays, additional journeys and confusion. In the first instance a person would be presented with a statement meeting all of their needs. He or she would then have to wait a month or two months to get an appointment with a liaison officer who would inform him or her that it is not possible to provide everything that is specified on the service statement. That does not make sense. I would prefer if we did not have to take account of what resources are available. However, people would manage to deal with that. It appears to be a waste of effort and money to do it in this manner when there would clearly be no benefit to the client.

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