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

The north Dublin area 9, Health Service Executive social care operational plan, which I think the Deputy is referring to, indicates that the local implementation plan is due to be completed by the end of 2015 with full reconfiguration into 12 teams in quarter one of 2016.

In respect of diagnosis, those representing the people aged from birth to 18 and those with progressing disabilities tell us that it is a question of early intervention. The diagnosis may come later, provided the speech therapy and occupational therapy, the type of one to one intervention that children with autism will need, is provided. We have seen long waits for diagnosis while nothing was happening. We are trying to put the teams in place. North Dublin does not get these posts more than other areas because we like the look of the place but because we recognise there is a deficit. Recruitment is an issue for us and is taking longer than expected but there are few people qualifying in these areas. It is being worked on daily.

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