Stephen Donnelly (Wicklow, Fianna Fail) | Oireachtas source

We are very aware there are far too many children who are still waiting. Considerable progress was made in reducing the numbers waiting from more than 70,000 down to the low 50,000s. Unfortunately, the HSE is complying with a court ruling around assessment of need, which means that progress has stopped for now, and we are aware that a great amount of resources, unfortunately, had been pulled into the assessment of need area. These resources, from a policy perspective, should be deployed in treating the children themselves.

Nonetheless, the Deputy has hit the nail on the head in that the single biggest challenge and opportunity is hiring people into the progressing disability services, PDS, teams on the ground. We are finalising a new strategy with the HSE, and from my perspective, the direction I have given to the Department and to the HSE is that the single greatest priority is to find ways to attract in these therapists and to get these children the care they need.

See this speech in context