Anne Rabbitte (Galway East, Fianna Fail) | Oireachtas source

It is not just in County Wexford that this issue arises; the entire CHO 5 needs to be addressed. For every child that is presenting through CHO 5, I need to ensure that an early assessment is taking place and, thereafter, that an intervention is happening while we are waiting for the roll-out of the PDS framework. No child and no family should have to access private services. The whole purpose of my seeking funding to clear the backlog last year was to ensure we get to an intervention-based model, not an assessment process. An assessment should mean getting access to a place where we have interventions and services being delivered to families. That would cut down on the frustration people are feeling. The most important point in regard to the Deputy's question is that progress really hinges on people having the piece of paper that enables them to access either preschool facilities, such as the Holy Angels service I referred to, or national schools. I will be addressing this matter on Friday.

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