Simon Harris (Wicklow, Fine Gael) | Oireachtas source

I thank Deputy Healy for raising this very important issue on the assessment of needs for children with disabilities. He is entirely correct; this is an area in which the State needs to do an awful lot more. The lost decade affected the ability to recruit to and invest in vital public services and this means that we have a backlog through which we need to work. We are committed to doing just that. Deputy Healy will have seen that we have significantly increased the number of speech and language therapists working in local areas. These therapists are an important part of assessment teams. We hired 80 more last year and, under the HSE service plan for this year, there will again be an increase in the level of resources for speech and language therapy.

Similarly in the area of psychology, which is an important in the context of any team that supports children with disabilities within our communities, we are going to recruit 135 psychology assistants. This will help with that aspect of assessments. The HSE is also currently developing its operational plan for each community health care organisation. This plan will outline the level of service the organisations intend to be able to provide this year to people with disabilities. Given that we have significantly increased the health budget to more than €15 billion, I expect that the people about whom the Deputy speaks will see this reflected in the operational plans for their areas.

I am concerned about the lack of consistency regarding the geographical spread of resources. The Deputy has touched upon this matter. Autism, for example, is a disability issue that concerns many parents who come to my constituency clinic. I am sure Deputy Healy sees such parents at his clinic also. I asked the HSE to carry out an analysis of autism services assessment teams throughout the State in order to map where we have a good service and where we do not. This is so that the resources can be put in place. I have just received the report this week and I will now work my way through it, with the ultimate purpose to have an evidence base in respect of the location of resources. If there are certain areas with particular backlogs and waiting lists for assessment of needs that are above and beyond the national norm, then we need to target resources in to those areas. I have discussed this issue with the HSE and I am aware that it is a key priority for the Minister of State, Deputy Finian McGrath. With this and the extra respite service we will see in community health care organisations, GP visit cards for carers and medical cards for all children in receipt of domiciliary care allowance, I hope we will make a real improvement.

I accept that this is an area in which we must do a great deal more. I will be very happy to speak with Deputy Healy directly about his community health care organisation experience and I will certainly follow up on the details of any cases he may wish to provide. We are investing a lot more in this area and we are recruiting more staff. Staff is the key component in these teams. If we are to drive down the waiting times for the assessment of needs, we need to have more health professionals in our community health care teams. This is a priority for the Government. There will be more recruitment this year and that will build on the additional recruitment last year.

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