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

I accept completely that it is important to intervene as early as possible. I take that point at a personal level. I also accept that the waiting lists are unacceptably long. However, there is difficulty in filling some of the positions. That is the bad news. The good news is that in recent months I have noticed that a lot of occupational and speech and language therapists who emigrated during the austerity years are returning to Ireland and that some of them are filling these posts. The recruitment of a further 40 occupational therapists is nearing completion, while the occupational service improvement working group is reviewing options in the allocation of posts across CHO areas. This is being done having regard to the occupational therapy service report on improvements in primary care. Funding for an additional 100 therapy posts was secured in budget 2019 and they will have an impact. The reality is that we have to focus on getting people in place in order that we can provide services. There has been a huge increase in the numbers of families and children presenting in CHO 7 with autism spectrum disorder. That is something to which we are trying to respond as quickly as possible.

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