Micheál Martin (Cork South Central, Fianna Fail) | Oireachtas source

Every year, resources have been increased and expanded, and correctly so, in respect of special needs and the families to whom Deputy Doherty referred and whom I have met. There is not a Deputy in the House who has not met families in situations such as this. Staffing is now the issue. I refer here to the recruitment of staff. The funding is there to recruit staff to these services and facilities, and funding will continue to be provided and it will be expanded. In the forthcoming Estimates, there will be additional funding for disabilities generally and for children with special needs in particular. The focus of the HSE and the providers is to do everything possible to recruit staff and provide a service that is without discrimination, in the context of whatever school a child attends, and that provides the respite care, physiotherapy, speech and language and neurorehabilitation that children may require. That is the approach. We are working with the HSE to make sure it can achieve the capacity that is required to open these beds.

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