Mark Ward (Dublin Mid West, Sinn Fein) | Oireachtas source

I thank the Minister of State for acknowledging that because there are real people behind these different Acts and procedures. They are parents and children and this issue has a knock-on effect on the overall family structure, society in general and school. It is crucially important that these children receive intervention and assessment in order that there are no lost opportunities. That is what we are talking about here: lost opportunities for children. Parents face a dilemma when their children do not reach their developmental milestones. Some children are being left behind by their peers, are unable to perform tasks independently, or are totally reliant on the care of their parents or caregivers. We need to start doing something now, today, as soon as possible, to ease the access for parents seeking an assessment of need for their children, when and where they need it. What is being done to make this happen in a timely manner?

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