Stephen Donnelly (Wicklow, Fianna Fail) | Oireachtas source

Let me state clearly that it is absolutely the intention and has always been the intention that the families directly meet with the lead reviewer. The terms have been crafted such that he adjusts them depending on what they say. As I said to Deputy Cullinane earlier, with the benefit of hindsight, that process should have happened twice. It should have happened before the draft terms were published rather than just being shown the draft terms. I fully accept that should have happened. That was a mistake. It was intended and will happen exactly as the Deputy said.

Deputy Shortall said something very important. Has the State failed these children? Yes. Yes, the State has failed these children and the State has been failing these children for years. Of the €19 million we put in last year, and I ask the Deputy to bear with me for one second if she does not mind, 168 additional healthcare workers are funded and 151 of those are in place. We will not rest until those waiting lists are brought down.

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