Charlie McConalogue (Donegal, Fianna Fail)

Certainly, I will. Obviously, the parents have been through several challenges and the child has had a very difficult and challenging start to life. It is really important from the point of view of the State that the health service we provide be appropriate to the child's needs. It is important that incontinence pads be appropriate to and sufficient in number for the child to meet all his needs. I will certainly engage with the Minister for Health and her Department on this case and ask that it be fully considered and responded to.

The Deputy raised the child development network therapies and teams. I am aware that there have been recruitment challenges in various parts of the country, including my county and the Deputy's. The challenge has primarily been the availability of therapists. The Department of Health, the Department of education and the Department of further education have been working to ensure additional staff are trained to meet the needs. They have been seeking to recruit and there have been improvements over the past year to two years in regard to increasing the size of the team. There is significant demand that is not being met but the objective is to have more people coming through who can take up the positions and meet the needs. This is essential to affected children, and supports are essential to families.

I thank the Deputy for raising this. I will ask the HSE to engage further.

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