Tommy Broughan (Dublin Bay North, Independent) | Oireachtas source

Pages 75 to 77 of the programme for Government refer to services for children. I have a question specifically about children on the autistic spectrum. In north Dublin and Fingal, we have waiting lists of 20 months for a HSE assessment. When a child is two or two and half years old, 20 months for an early intervention is not an early intervention. We had a discussion yesterday at the Committee on Budgetary Oversight with the Minister, Deputy Donohoe, about additional funding that is probably available this year for health. Is it possible to bring forward a programme to eliminate those kinds of waiting lists and address early intervention, particularly for children on the autistic spectrum?

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