Micheál Martin (Cork South-Central, Fianna Fail)

Early intervention is the key. I could not agree more. We need to expand early childcare services for children with additional needs, particularly early childhood education provision for those children. We are doing that and will continue to expand services there. The HSE is not in a position to fulfil the law right now. The Deputy knows that and I know that. We have to respond to enable us to get therapy services to children as effectively and optimally as we can. Our agenda is to use the resources we have for children who need services. I refer to existing resources and how we add to those resources through recruitment, retention and increasing the number of therapy places in our third level colleges for those who wish to work in therapy assistance, including more and greater provision in that regard.

However, as a society we have to work smarter to utilise existing therapist resources for the benefit of children.

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