Josepha Madigan (Dublin Rathdown, Fine Gael) | Oireachtas source

I can give a commitment that I will bring the Deputy's concerns to the attention of the Minister of State with responsibility for disabilities and the Minister for Health. I want to be clear in regard to the school inclusion model and the therapists within a school environment.

They are not in lieu of a service that should be provided by the HSE. They are a complementary service which should enhance the child. As I mentioned to the Deputy earlier, we can see from the interim evaluation we have got back from the pilot demonstration project that it has had a beneficial effect on children in terms of their listening skills and improving their confidence.

I will go back to the Deputy's substantive question when he asked about school places and the absence of those in certain pockets around the country.

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