Finian McGrath (Dublin Bay North, Independent) | Oireachtas source

I take Deputy Brophy's point about March as well as his proper points about the bureaucracy and delays. As far as I am concerned, delays are not good enough, especially with regard to assessments for children with disabilities. Long delays are not good for the child, especially the educational, personal and emotional development of the child.

I am giving a commitment to Deputy Brophy that there will be sufficient resources to clear the backlog. There was a problem with a person withdrawing from the process and then with filling the position subsequently. We have a wider problem in certain professions. We seem to have a problem with vacant positions and finding the right people.

At the end of 2015, there were approximately 400 assessment of need applications in process. It is estimated that at the current rate there will be approximately 500 assessment of need applications in the process by the end of the year.

The HSE social care division has requested that the local area provides an improvement plan to address the significant backlog of applications. I will be pushing strongly for this. The implementation plan will be submitted and considered. I am giving a commitment over the next two weeks to implement the appropriate action plan without further delay. The HSE is endeavouring to fill the position on a temporary basis until a successful candidate is appointed. The HSE will continue to progress applications within the available capacity and ensure that the backlog of applications is reduced at the earliest opportunity.

I will bring the strong message sent from Deputy Brophy back to the HSE and the Minister for Health, Deputy Harris. We cannot have a situation where delays in providing assessments of need for children, especially in my area of responsibility for children with disabilities, are allowed to continue. We have the resources and they are included in the programme for Government. Now we need to implement strong decisive action plans to deal with these issues.

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