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

I agree that we need action with respect to the provision of therapy services and assessment of need.

A child does not require a diagnosis to access therapy services. The delays in accessing assessments of need are extremely frustrating. In my view, legislation will be required following the court decision some time back, which upended, if one likes, the HSE's approach to assessments of need. Significant funding has been provided for the children's disability network teams. My view is that we need to go back to a schools-based delivery model, starting with special schools. We have initiated a pilot, but there is a lot of resistance to it within the HSE in particular and among those who advocated for the progressing disability services model. My view is that we need to have a multidisciplinary team-based approach in our schools-----

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