Caoimhghín Ó Caoláin (Cavan-Monaghan, Sinn Fein)
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The crisis in the health system and in this instance in the provision of disability services trundles on. It is widely recognised that early intervention is of critical importance when it comes to improving outcomes for children with disabilities but despite the recognition of such a need, the HSE is failing to ensure that young disabled children receive the earliest possible interventions to give them the best start in life. Under the Disability Act 2005, assessments of children's needs must be completed within six months. The recent revelation of the failure by the HSE to process in 2015 as many as 2,500 applications from parents for needs assessments for their children on foot of a disability notwithstanding the legal requirement is a damning indictment of the Government. Exceptional circumstances were cited as the reason for delays in a number of cases. While this is permitted under the regulations, my concern is that the provision is being used to facilitate delayed assessments by the HSE.

Every parent wants the very best for his or her child. In their desperation to have their disabled children assessed, they are now being forced to go private. According to the autism charity Shine, 107 children were assessed privately in 2014 but between 1 January and October 2016, the number of children being diagnosed privately rose to 216. Private diagnosis can cost from €700 to more than €1,000, which is a hefty sum and one which parents should not have to pay to have their children's needs assessed. Equally concerning are the claims by Shine that no follow-up services such as speech and language and occupational therapy have been available since last November to children assessed as having an autism need. I agree with Shine's chief executive, Kieran Kennedy, who says the system has gone beyond crisis. I understand the HSE did not provide a direct answer when asked if follow-up services had been unavailable since last November to children assessed as having that need. It said it was "reconfiguring existing therapy services into geographic based children's disability network teams". Perhaps the Minister of State can confirm if this is the case.

Does the Minister of State agree that reconfiguring existing resources is not going to cut it? What we need are additional resources and we need them now. This is an issue that must be addressed as a matter of urgency in circumstances in which the number of children seeking to be assessed is rising year on year. I want to know what the Government is doing to address this pressing situation. How will it ensure that no child will have to wait longer than six months to be assessed and how will it ensure that follow-up services are available to all of these young people, each of whom deserves proper attention and support?

Marcella Corcoran Kennedy (Offaly, Fine Gael)
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I am pleased to have the opportunity to update the House on behalf of the Minister of State, Deputy Finian McGrath, who extends his apologies for being unable to attend. I am glad to update Deputy Ó Caoláin on progress in developing services for children with disabilities and the current position on waiting times and needs assessment. I thank the Deputy for raising this important matter, which is one that has been close to his heart for a long time.

The HSE has recognised that early intervention services and services for school-aged children with disabilities need to be improved and organised more effectively and this process is well under way. While there has been continual additional investment in the area, we recognise that the HSE faces significant challenges in respect of meeting the statutory timeframes which apply to the assessment of needs process under the Disability Act 2005 due to the volume of applications, which continues to increase year on year. The HSE is currently engaged in a reconfiguration of existing therapy resources to geographic based teams for children. The objective of the new model of assessment and intervention is to provide one clear referral pathway for all children irrespective of disability, place of residence or school attended. The level of requests for assessment is higher in areas where the reconfiguration of children's disability services has yet to take place, which suggests that where a good service is being provided, the need for assessment is reduced. Some areas have proven particularly challenging in respect of waiting times for assessment and therapeutic service delivery. An example is the Cork-Kerry region where a number of measures have been put in place to deal with waiting lists.

Since 2014, the roll-out of the programme progressing disability services for children and young people has entailed the targeted investment of €14 million and the provision of 275 additional therapy staff to increase services for children with all disabilities. In 2016, €4 million was provided under the HSE's national service plan to focus specifically on speech and language therapy waiting lists in primary care and social care for children aged up to 18 years. This investment represents a long-term increase in speech and language therapy capacity which will be maintained into 2017. A Programme for a Partnership Government commits the Government to improving services and increasing supports for people with disabilities, particular in respect of early assessment and intervention for children with special needs. Significant resources have been invested by the health sector in services for children with disabilities over the last number of years, which is something we all welcome.

Caoimhghín Ó Caoláin (Cavan-Monaghan, Sinn Fein)
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I thank the Minister of State for taking this matter. I am deeply concerned by the reply I have received. The Minister of State has reaffirmed the very points I made in my opening contribution. She cites the HSE is currently engaged in a reconfiguration of existing therapy resources. She says the objective of the new model of assessment and intervention is to provide one clear referral pathway for all children but it will not do it. As I said earlier, it will not cut it. That is the sad reality because we have an underprovision of the professional skills necessary to cope, not only with the existing year-on-year number presenting but the fact that an increasing number of children are being referred. They are not being referred for no good reason. There is an absolutely valid basis to all of these referrals. It is critical to recognise that resourcing is the essential element in terms of the provision of the necessary professional skills in speech and language therapy, occupational therapy, child psychology et al. While the Minister of State says that since 2014, an additional 275 therapy staff have been appointed, the fact is that a number of them are replacements who filled existing vacancies in circumstances where we are working from a very low base following years of no recruitment. We must ensure that we meet the need that is presenting. It is just not good enough.

As a spokesperson on disability rights among other issues, I was hugely concerned looking at the budget for 2017 that this area had not been properly recognised in the funding provision for the coming year. I appeal to the Minister of State in her particular office to engage with her colleagues and the senior Minister who cannot be left at a remove from responsibility in relation to these matters. I appeal to her in her respective position to reflect on the very serious matter I have highlighted to her. The HSE has recognised, as stated in the Minister of State's reply, that early intervention services and services for school-aged children with disabilities must be improved.

In light of all of my years of service here and in previous life as a public representative, I have to ask when that dawned on the HSE. The process is now well under way but it is just not good enough. I appreciate the help of the Minister of State.

Marcella Corcoran Kennedy (Offaly, Fine Gael)
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I can understand the frustration of the Deputy; it mirrors that of many of us. The HSE recognises and is attempting to address the difficulties, not only in specific areas but also across the country, by way of the recruitment of additional staff, the provision of specific service plans for individuals and putting in place additional project managers. I hope that will go some way towards solving the issue. Anybody who is waiting for a day or a week is waiting too long. I will convey the Deputy's genuine concerns in this regard to the Minister of State, Deputy Finian McGrath.