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

I look forward to that conversation at the committee meeting next week. The committee heard from the Ombudsman for Children last week and he basically said it is an old fashioned three-card trick, that children are being moved from one list to another and their needs are not being met. I am glad the Minster of State mentioned intervention because that is another problem. When children get their assessment of need and what they need for their development going forward is outlined, the actual wrap-around services they need, such as speech and language therapy or occupational therapy, are not there. Those services must be put in place, in conjunction with getting the assessments of need.

I have an issue that was brought up by the Enough is Enough group at this week's committee meeting. The standard operating procedure is a desktop examination wherein parents fill out forms and assess their children's needs. Parents are not therapists and they have told me that they are terrified they will miss something that will delay their child's development. Does the Minister of State think this is an appropriate mechanism for assessing children in order that their developmental needs can be met?

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