Norma Foley (Kerry, Fianna Fail)

The Government recognises that there are unacceptable delays in accessing assessment of need. The Department and the HSE are committed to addressing these delays.

The delivery of an effective and efficient assessment of need system continues to be a priority for the Government. Intensive work has been under way to deliver actions to achieve this. It is important to note that children do not require an assessment of need to access health services, whether primary care, children’s disability network teams or mental health services. However, as the Deputy has pointed out, demand for assessment of need has increased significantly in recent years. This reflects both the increase in population and the number of families exploring all options to access services for their children. The number of applications has increased significantly since 2020, rising from 4,700 applications to over 10,000 applications in 2024. It is expected that the number will increase further this year. The reasons for this growth are complex and reflect the changing needs and awareness of disability in our society as a whole. Capacity constraints have meant that the system has struggled to respond to the substantial increase in demand. In this regard, the Department is working with the HSE to identify opportunities to enhance processes, improve training and increase administrative supports. It is important to highlight that there has been a noted improvement in the number of completed assessments. Over 4,100 were completed in 2024, an increase of 30% compared to 2023. HSE data shows this trend is continuing this year and there has been a 57% year-on-year increase in completed assessments in the first nine months of the year. This improvement has been achieved by a number of measures, including the assessment of need targeted wait-list initiative. Under this initiative, the HSE procures clinical assessments from approved private providers. Over 6,300 clinical assessments have been commissioned from private providers since the initiative commenced in June 2024.

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