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

As I said in my response, the important thing is that we all recognise that early intervention services and services for school age children with disabilities need to be improved and I accept that criticism. We need to ensure that they are organised more effectively and this process is well under way. The important thing to remember is that a total of 56 are in place. The remaining 82 are developing their reconfiguration. I have given a commitment today that it will be concluded in 2018. There are issues in the background in industrial relations, negotiations with the trade union group Fórsa and there are delays on the process of mediation but these issues are being dealt with. I am optimistic that this process will conclude shortly and we will have these teams out there to provide services and networks for children with disabilities, because we have to ensure that when we are planning these services, children get the maximum early intervention service as quickly as possible. That is my objective and hopefully it will be completed by the end of this year.

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