Kathleen Lynch (Cork North Central, Labour) | Oireachtas source

Where a place is denied to a child with a disability, the reason usually given is that he or she is not ready for that level of education. This is where the new therapy posts will come in. The reconfiguration I have described is essential and the allocation of €4 million was very hard won. It is not about a diagnosis; it is about providing the interventions that are necessary at a very young age, whether speech and language therapy, physiotherapy, occupational therapy or something else, to ensure children gain the very most from a preschool place.

In terms of when this will be achieved, the 2016 timeline is essentially a safety net. In 2014, Kerry, Mayo, Galway, north Lee in Cork, Wexford, Kildare and west Wicklow will fully reconfigure their services in line with the new model. Having said that, I very much take on board what the Deputy is saying. There are some providers who simply do not want to take on children who require additional care. The whole idea behind the appointment of additional therapists is to ensure children will be ready to avail of the preschool provision that is available.

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