Margaret Murphy O'Mahony (Cork South West, Fianna Fail) | Oireachtas source

I again ask the Minister of State to say, insofar as he can, that all of these will be reconfigured by the end of this year. The HSE told me in a recent reply that a second key enabler is accommodation for these multi-agency and multidisciplinary teams. From the child and family's perspective, a co-located children's disability team is essential to achieve optimal outcomes for the child, particularly where in the majority of new teams, staff are coming together from different organisations and cultures to form one new team providing for all children with a complex disability within the defined geographical area.

In recent years, however, funding for accommodation has not been allocated for progressing disability services. As a result, there is a significant shortfall in accommodation in some areas for newly forming teams that are suitable for children with disabilities. Has the Minister of State sought any direct State funding? The HSE is engaging with the European Investment Bank but should he not be delivering direct State intervention in this area?

See this speech in context