Paul Lawless (Mayo, Aontú)

I have to say if I were a parent listening to this I would be incredibly frustrated. The Minister of State has, perhaps, a mid- to long-term plan but very little to alleviate the crisis today. There is a window of opportunity. These children will miss their targets. They will be significantly disadvantaged. For some it will mean the difference between being able to live independently or not. We have many wonderful professionals abroad. They are living abroad for many reasons. The Minister of State has not answered the question so I assume she has no plan to bring them home.

I will give an example. I spoke to a number of psychologists who had to leave this country to get training because there were not enough assistant psychologists posts available. These people are highly educated. They completed their doctorates in places such as Britain. The HSE does not have a clear pathway to bring these people home. One psychologist has been trying to work in the HSE for more than a year and has been met with bureaucracy and red tape.

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