Norma Foley (Kerry, Fianna Fail)

I acknowledge everybody in this field, the professionals on the front line and the families enduring what they are enduring. I do not forget Cara Darmody's great advocacy work. I want to acknowledge the additional funding in place - the €10 million that is very much close to Cara's heart - to ensure private assessments could be delivered under the AON process. Under that initiative, the HSE provides for the procurement of clinical assessments from private providers and almost 5,000 such assessments have been commissioned under the programme. That is quite significant. I know it is something Cara is quite proud of and she seeks to do more in relation to it.

On the right to an AON, the six months will not be interfered with, nor will the right to seek an AON. On any legislative changes, it is our ambition that they will be brought to the House during this term.

See this speech in context