Séamus Healy (Tipperary South, Independent) | Oireachtas source

Disability legislation obliges the State to provide assessments of need for children with disabilities within six months of referral. This early assessment is vital as children use it as a gateway to access therapy services such as psychology, speech and language, etc. It is universally accepted that early diagnosis, treatment and support give the best outcomes for health, welfare and quality of life for these children into adulthood. More than 11,000 children are now waiting for assessments of need over the six-month limit, many for two years or more. This Government is clearly and knowingly in breach of the law in this regard, as was the previous Government. When does the Government propose to implement the law to give these vulnerable children their legal entitlements?

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