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

I again thank the Deputy for his contribution on this issue. If a parent provides reports, whether diagnostic or otherwise, that have been completed by another service, the relevant HSE service will consider those reports. I have used the name Caroline Goldsmith already. It is important to say that if parents have got a diagnosis but have not been able to access services, that is, parents who procured these services because they were not able to access the waiting list, they should contact my office. It is not fair or right for any parent who has spent hard-earned money not to get a fair and accurate assessment as to their child's diagnosis. I certainly do not want to again see the upset I have seen on parents' faces in Crumlin and Ashbourne in the past three weeks. It is only right that I engage with CORU. I am thankful for the support I have received from the HSE in recent days in ensuring a proper pathway is put in place to make sure people are protected. We have put a timeline on this measure. We need to protect families and, most importantly, the young people because the vulnerability that arises from not being able to get a timely assessment of need is driving people to despair. These assessments are needed to ensure access to education and whatever else these children need access to. Nobody seems to want to let you access anything in this country if you do not have a preliminary diagnosis. We all know that healthcare is based on need but other parts of society are based on diagnosis. The HSE and I need to crack that particular nut with the support of all of the Members in here over the coming weeks. There are other ways of doing it. We need to bring in more people and clinicians such as family support workers, behavioural therapists and play therapists. It is not all about just one or two fields.

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