Pauline Tully (Cavan-Monaghan, Sinn Fein) | Oireachtas source

What does Government plan to do regarding what can only be described as a crisis in children's disability services? The progressing disability services model was established. Children's disability network teams, CDNTs, were set up throughout the country in 2021, but they are not working. The delay in addressing this crisis will have knock-on consequences on all of those children who require services and on their ability to live independently. Early intervention is key, yet the delay in this will mean that we are creating a significant level of dependency. As it stands, the number of applications overdue for completion for assessment of needs stands at 12,722 at the end of quarter 3. That is a 30% increase on the end of last year. The HSE is outsourcing the assessments of needs to private operators, private psychologists and so on, and the cost of that keeps rising as well. We are spending money on vital services but there is no oversight of it and the price keeps going up. There is not even a standardised assessment of needs process. Parents tell me that sometimes it only takes an hour and a half. For over €3,000, an hour and a half for an assessment of needs does not sound right to me. How will it be addressed?

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