Caoimhghín Ó Caoláin (Cavan-Monaghan, Sinn Fein) | Oireachtas source

I thank the Minister for her reply. One of the elements in my question was to inquire about her plans to ensure that children with special care needs receive care within the State. On the previous occasion we addressed the issue the Minister said on the record - she laid emphasis on it - "that the referral of persons abroad for specialised therapeutic interventions is an established feature within our health and social care system." I am concerned that such referral has become an established feature of the system. This is an important issue. The Minister indicated that a small number of children are affected but the cost factor week-on-week is substantial. Do the figures the Minister cited take into account the cost of facilitating family visits and social worker visits from this jurisdiction to each of the placed children?

Does that happen? How long have the small number of young people been in this care and what is the long-term plan for them? These are young people but what about their further care in life as they grow older? Has the Minister examined the cost of providing treatment here for that particular cohort of young people? Has there been any exploration in conjunction with authorities north of the Border to examine the greater viability of providing these specialist care supports to children on a North-South basis on the island of Ireland, thereby eliminating the expensive costs of flights and all the other ancillary costs that must accrue as a result of their being placed on the neighbouring island of Britain, or as in two of the cases cited by the Minister, in the United States?

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