Catherine Ardagh (Dublin South Central, Fianna Fail)

I rise again to discuss therapeutic supports for children. As the Taoiseach said, the in-school therapy programme has been a huge success.

Even people in the Department were blown away by how many applied for the positions. Therapists like working in the school environment. It is the best place for therapies to be delivered to children and for their parents, the majority of whom work. In CHO 7, more than 2,700 people in Dublin South-Central are waiting for first contract. Some 2,100 of them have been waiting for more than 12 months. They do not even have a diagnosis yet. The dogs on the street know the CDNT model does not work. There was an intimation it would be scrapped before the general election. It is not working. I have never spoken to a parent who is happy with it. There is huge haemorrhaging of staff from CDNTs. I do not know where the bottleneck is. Why keep this model of care going when it is broken? Therapies need to be delivered in the school environment. It is the best place. Clinicians and therapists want to work in a school environment. The Taoiseach came from a school environment himself. It is a nice place to work. The staffroom is a friendly place. Teachers are good people. People like a nice work-life balance.

See this speech in context