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

That is why funding has been secured in budget after budget to ensure we can address it. Only yesterday, the Minister, Deputy O'Gorman, the Department and I had a meeting about AONs to ensure it is a priority, a focus and that it is actually getting the attention it requires. At the back of all of this, it is important to understand there are only so many therapists in the country. That is our problem. We are trying to fill our CDNTs. We are trying to ensure we are having assessments and that we are also delivering on interventions. It is that balance we are trying to create. From what I have seen from the procurements that have come back, there is a capacity issue in the private market as well. We do not have the desired capacity from what has come back in. It is all about people and ensuring we use the resources we have best. That is the operational piece the Minister, Deputy O'Gorman and I have tasked the HSE with, addressing how it can meet the balancing needs of intervention and assessment.

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