Results 221-240 of 9,625 for speaker:Hildegarde Naughton

Committee on Disability Matters: Progressing the Delivery of Disability Policy and Services: Discussion (Resumed) (2 Jul 2025)

Hildegarde Naughton: I thank Senator Byrne. On the primary medical certificate, the position is that disabled drivers, including primary medical certificates, are a matter for the Department of Finance. It has carried out a review, which will be progressed under the national disability strategy. The Department of Transport will also look at this. Senator Byrne is absolutely correct. As we have all said...

Committee on Disability Matters: Progressing the Delivery of Disability Policy and Services: Discussion (Resumed) (2 Jul 2025)

Hildegarde Naughton: We have increased funding over the years but it is coming from a low base. We have €3.2 billion in the 2025 budget for disability but, as I said, we have so much more to do and so much more to fund. This is a top priority for the Government and we need to make sure we get it right. The only way we are going to get it right is to make sure we continue to engage with those disability...

Committee on Disability Matters: Progressing the Delivery of Disability Policy and Services: Discussion (Resumed) (2 Jul 2025)

Hildegarde Naughton: The DPOs and the disability groups are good and constructive advocates. They have helped me in my role and they have had huge engagement with the Department before I came into the role.

Committee on Disability Matters: Progressing the Delivery of Disability Policy and Services: Discussion (Resumed) (2 Jul 2025)

Hildegarde Naughton: As I travel around in this role, and in previous roles, I know there is a lot of frustration, for example, in families. I meet parents in particular who speak to me about getting access to services. I am acutely aware of that.

Committee on Disability Matters: Progressing the Delivery of Disability Policy and Services: Discussion (Resumed) (2 Jul 2025)

Hildegarde Naughton: Absolutely, yes.

Committee on Disability Matters: Progressing the Delivery of Disability Policy and Services: Discussion (Resumed) (2 Jul 2025)

Hildegarde Naughton: It is funny that Senator Clonan mentions Australia, as I met with the Australian minister and the minister from New Zealand at the United Nations conference on disability in New York. We had conversations about what was working well over there and what we can learn. I travelled to the UN with many DPOs. The representatives of the disability sector in Ireland who were part of the conference...

Committee on Disability Matters: Progressing the Delivery of Disability Policy and Services: Discussion (Resumed) (2 Jul 2025)

Hildegarde Naughton: The Minister, Deputy Foley, dealt with the Bill in the Seanad. A review is taking place at the moment. It is not that we object to the Bill. In fact, that was part of my conversations when I was at the UN with the Australian minister. We want to do this, but a review is under way. A pilot was put in place and we want to see how it is has worked. We want to make sure that we get it...

Committee on Disability Matters: Progressing the Delivery of Disability Policy and Services: Discussion (Resumed) (2 Jul 2025)

Hildegarde Naughton: Disability is a top priority. At our first Cabinet meeting in Áras an Uachtaráin, the Taoiseach and the Tánaiste said to all the Cabinet Ministers around the table that they have disability in their brief and if they do not know what it is they should go away and find out. That is the priority the Government has given to this issue. I sit on the Cabinet committee. The...

Committee on Disability Matters: Progressing the Delivery of Disability Policy and Services: Discussion (Resumed) (2 Jul 2025)

Hildegarde Naughton: This is about doing the right thing.

Committee on Disability Matters: Progressing the Delivery of Disability Policy and Services: Discussion (Resumed) (2 Jul 2025)

Hildegarde Naughton: Deputy Daly has given a really good example that we would have all had. I have parents coming to me in my constituency office of an older disabled child wondering what is going to happen to their child when they pass away. We cannot answer that question but we know they will be housed. It will become an emergency situation, which is not good. There is no clarity for the parents. That is...

Committee on Disability Matters: Progressing the Delivery of Disability Policy and Services: Discussion (Resumed) (2 Jul 2025)

Hildegarde Naughton: In relation to the assessment of need, that will remain a statutory right for people. That is guaranteed. What we need to do is look at the process, make it more efficient and make the waiting times more efficient as well. We need to also look at hiring of speech and language therapists and occupational therapists, OTs, and also dietitians and social workers. It is not just therapists....

Committee on Disability Matters: Progressing the Delivery of Disability Policy and Services: Discussion (Resumed) (2 Jul 2025)

Hildegarde Naughton: One of the solutions is the one-door approach where no matter where you go, in through primary care, CAMHS or CDNT, you are not just referred over to another waiting list. That is something that Bernard Gloster is working on. This comes back to the strategy and the whole-of-Government approach. Primary care is the responsibility of the Minister for Health. I and the Minister, Deputy...

Committee on Disability Matters: Progressing the Delivery of Disability Policy and Services: Discussion (Resumed) (2 Jul 2025)

Hildegarde Naughton: This is a matter for the Minister for Health but we are all connected when it comes to that single point of access. I wish to point to the topic of therapists in schools for children. We are now ramping this up. I would like to see that connection between the in-school therapists, the CDNTs and the multidisciplinary team when we are going into schools with the highest needs. This will...

Committee on Disability Matters: Progressing the Delivery of Disability Policy and Services: Discussion (Resumed) (2 Jul 2025)

Hildegarde Naughton: I am happy to engage with the Deputy relating to that. At a general level, where a person has a disability, and I have different groups coming in to me, we want to see they have access to those multidisciplinary teams. If there is something specialist - I am not an expert in the area and maybe something else is required in that space where if a person needs the services - they get access to...

Committee on Disability Matters: Progressing the Delivery of Disability Policy and Services: Discussion (Resumed) (2 Jul 2025)

Hildegarde Naughton: That would be a good opportunity to raise with Tusla and ask what the issues are. We can feed that up the line. The Minister, Deputy Foley, has responsibility over Tusla, as well as disability. It is about identifying the issues for Tusla and the access to what services to ensure we are aware of it. That would be helpful.

Committee on Disability Matters: Progressing the Delivery of Disability Policy and Services: Discussion (Resumed) (2 Jul 2025)

Hildegarde Naughton: I thank the Deputy. On alternative respite and who decides, data is really important but the HSE decides in conjunction with the Department. Alternative respite is really important. I am of the view that we also need overnight respite and we cannot just have one over the other. To answer the question, it is the HSE in conjunction with the Department. Respite is largely provided by...

Committee on Disability Matters: Progressing the Delivery of Disability Policy and Services: Discussion (Resumed) (2 Jul 2025)

Hildegarde Naughton: Work is ongoing with that. As the Deputy knows, the backlog of assessments of need is growing. It has increased from a low of just under 2,000 in 2021, when the preliminary team assessments were used, to almost 15,300 at the end of March of this year. The HSE has estimated the backlog could reach almost 24,800 applications by the end of this year.

Committee on Disability Matters: Progressing the Delivery of Disability Policy and Services: Discussion (Resumed) (2 Jul 2025)

Hildegarde Naughton: That is their estimation. We have been looking at recruitment and retention issues, putting more therapists through our third level institutions, looking at therapy assistance and putting therapists into our special schools. We also have looked at recruitment drives, both domestically and internationally. Some Departments ask for assessments of need, indirectly or not, and drive that...

Committee on Disability Matters: Progressing the Delivery of Disability Policy and Services: Discussion (Resumed) (2 Jul 2025)

Hildegarde Naughton: There has been an increase in the number of assessments of need carried out. There was a 30% increase of completed assessments of need in 2024 compared with 2023. Similarly, in the first quarter of this year, there was a 65% increase in the completed applications compared to the same period last year. Part of that is due to the private sector coming in and helping to carry out the...

Committee on Disability Matters: Progressing the Delivery of Disability Policy and Services: Discussion (Resumed) (2 Jul 2025)

Hildegarde Naughton: I cannot see a situation where we are not using the private sector. We have to use everything we can on this. We will resource our CDNTs and carry out recruitment drives but we will certainly need the private sector.