Naoise Ó Muirí (Dublin Bay North, Fine Gael) | Oireachtas source

I thank the Ceann Comhairle for selecting this matter for discussion. I remember these development checks being carried out in respect of my children not so long ago. They are vital for good early childhood development. The checks include, as Deputy Gogarty mentioned, visits to the clinic and public health nurses coming to people's homes. They make sure that children are healthy and developing normally. If the checks reveal issues, it is really the first time for making early interventions and bringing in other services and other professionals to support a child's development. I always found that public health nurses were really good at their job. They are experienced, are grounded, build good rapport with children and parents and set people's minds at ease.

It is concerning to hear from constituents that checks are not being done locally. A family in Killester contacted me. They were sent to Millmount in Drumcondra for their first check and then were told that neither Millmount nor Killester could send a nurse to them for the second check. A local development company in Coolock had a similar experience. It is getting feedback in Coolock and nearby areas that the checks are not happening. Those areas are marked by economic and social disadvantage. The last thing we need is to load issues relating to health checks and developmental issues onto the backs of hard-pressed families who live in the areas in question.

I congratulate the Minister of State on her new post. It is vital that the HSE gets recruitment done as soon as possible in order to rebuild these teams. There is a need to have new nurses recruited and appointed in order that checks can start again. This is a really important front-line community service for young folks in particular. I urge the Minister of State and the Department to work with the HSE. I also urge that what we are discussing should become a priority for Government.

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