Hildegarde Naughton (Galway West, Fine Gael) | Oireachtas source

I agree with the Deputy that more needs to be done. That is an absolute commitment from me, as Minister of State with responsibility for disabilities, and the Government, to look at whatever we can do to make sure that children are getting their therapies. Also, as the Deputy knows, CHO 9 is composed of local health offices of north Dublin, Dublin north centre and north-west Dublin. Some 1,690 assessment of needs applications were received in CHO 9 in 2024. That marks, as I said, an increase of 14% from 2022. I do not know whether I told the Deputy this earlier but as of December 2024, 3,193 assessment of needs in CHO 9 were overdue for completion. An assessment of need administrative hub in CHO 9 will assist with preserving the time of other clinical staff for the purposes of those therapy interventions. The Deputy can be assured that I am working with my Department and with the HSE in addressing the waiting lists. We are doing everything we can around recruiting more therapists from third level institutions, both domestically and internationally. My door is open in relation to any suggestions the Deputy may have or indeed within her constituency which I will be visiting soon to make sure we are helping these children who need these assessments and these therapies.

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