Paschal Donohoe (Dublin Central, Fine Gael) | Oireachtas source

I hope I get this right; I think the Deputy referred to Michael and Neil in his question. I am very conscious that they are very young children who are very special to their families and communities and who need additional help in getting the start they need in life. All of us, whether in government or in opposition, are aware of those within the communities that we are lucky enough to serve who have young children who need better support as they begin a journey in life in which they will face more challenges and in which their needs are additional and more complex.

The Deputy asked a question about prosecution and action that could be taken against the Government. That does happen but I can assure the Deputy that we do not need the threat of prosecution to do more or to act more. Our urgency to do that is driven by an appreciation of the needs that young children have and by an appreciation that we need to, and want to, do better by them. The Deputy asked what actions are being taken by the Government in relation to this. From a healthcare, therapist and staffing point of view, the number of health and social care professionals now employed by the HSE has increased by nearly 4,784 whole-time equivalents, that is, people who are doing the equivalent of a full-time role, which is up 28.5% on where we were in 2020. I am really conscious that when I stand up and talk about figures, it feels very hollow at times in comparison to the individual experience of a child and their family but the people I am referring to, who have been hired, are making a difference to families and children. That is why we need to continue in our efforts to put in place the therapists, special schools and special classes these children need.

The Deputy will also be aware of the work that the Minister for Education is doing with the aim of making more special classes in schools available across the country. The plans that we have in place to do that recognise that the last thing families and their beloved children need, on top of everything else they are confronting in life, is not knowing what school their lovely child, the child they love, will be in. We recognise the huge anxiety that can cause and we know that September after September, this is an issue for too many families. In the time that is available to us, we will work hard to make those classes available and to continue to build on our efforts to have the right number of therapists available in the right places and settings to provide the support we know is needed.

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