Results 4,021-4,040 of 10,824 for speaker:Anne Rabbitte

Joint Oireachtas Committee on Autism: Autism Policy: Discussion (12 Jul 2022)

Anne Rabbitte: I thank the Deputy for her question. She raised the issue of recruitment. The current model is not working and has to change. At a recent meeting, the Minister, Deputy O'Gorman, and I met the national team from the HSE, along with Paul Reid. We agreed that a roadmap would be put in place to ensure that we could attract more people in the sector. While the plan has not been finalised by...

Joint Oireachtas Committee on Autism: Autism Policy: Discussion (12 Jul 2022)

Anne Rabbitte: It is best if I start with the good news. On respite, we have found a solution for Longford. It was one of the counties where we had no children's respite whatever. It was a county with no respite house because that facility had closed some years ago. Since my meeting in Longford, I can say that we will deliver a respite house in Longford before the end of the year. It will be open 48...

Joint Oireachtas Committee on Autism: Autism Policy: Discussion (12 Jul 2022)

Anne Rabbitte: On the bespoke model involving therapists going into schools, I have clearly said that we need to return therapists to special schools. That goes without saying. The Deputy is right. There are children in mainstream education who also need to access services. They are not getting that at this time. The parents who the Deputy mentioned and who he represents are already collectively...

Joint Oireachtas Committee on Autism: Autism Policy: Discussion (12 Jul 2022)

Anne Rabbitte: It is very unfortunate what happened with the summer camp in Longford. As day follows night, it has always been there. Why the HSE did not book the space in advance, I cannot say, but it is not acceptable.

Joint Oireachtas Committee on Autism: Autism Policy: Discussion (12 Jul 2022)

Anne Rabbitte: I apologise. I am not an apologist for the HSE but, as Minister of State with responsibility for disability, that sort of response is absolutely soul-destroying in that somebody does not know who is on the system. The suggestions I have put forward to Deputy Tully and shared with the committee are mine. I have not seen the HSE's suggestions yet. I have a list of suggestions from listening...

Joint Oireachtas Committee on Autism: Autism Policy: Discussion (12 Jul 2022)

Anne Rabbitte: It certainly does. It is important that it happens in a timely fashionable and is measurable and accountable. While I talk about the 743 therapists, I need to see those numbers go down and find their way into positions. We need to go from a 30% to 40% gap in vacancies. I need to near my 90% operational piece, where I can have trainee therapists on site. That is my ambition and it has to...

Joint Oireachtas Committee on Autism: Autism Policy: Discussion (12 Jul 2022)

Anne Rabbitte: Some of the 743 posts will include special schools posts, which were halted last year. There were 85 therapists posts, but some of them have been recruited into. It does not include all special schools. They are a make-up of the posts I recruited for in 2021 and to date in 2022, and the additional 85 special schools posts last year. People have also failed to identify that we have lost...

Joint Oireachtas Committee on Autism: Autism Policy: Discussion (12 Jul 2022)

Anne Rabbitte: The Senator brought up a number of issues. He asked about supporting families and needing to get assessments of needs completed. Families feel there is no option because they are left waiting for so long. That is why I spoke about outsourcing. The assessment varies depending on the need as well. In some cases it could be €1,000 or €2,500, depending on the clinical need for...

Joint Oireachtas Committee on Autism: Autism Policy: Discussion (12 Jul 2022)

Anne Rabbitte: I will start with some of the good news regarding respite care in south Leitrim. The Deputy was there that day. We were very fortunate that when we all sat around the table we could find solutions. The solutions were within the Sligo site. Everybody was pleased about that. My understanding is that one of those houses is being worked on as we speak. The HSE told me it would be January,...

Joint Oireachtas Committee on Autism: Autism Policy: Discussion (12 Jul 2022)

Anne Rabbitte: Access to children's disability network teams was misunderstood as the progressing disability services, PDS, programme model was being rolled out. The access policy states that it should be the closest to home or the closest to your school. The parent has that choice. That was part of the original PDS model from 2009. As it was being rolled out last year, there was perhaps some...

Joint Oireachtas Committee on Autism: Autism Policy: Discussion (12 Jul 2022)

Anne Rabbitte: Believe it or not, there has been funding in the budget for adults since 2005. Funding was announced in the budget two years ago for the first time ever. We are now providing adult teams for assessments as part of the CDNT. It was ring-fenced in budget 2021.

Joint Oireachtas Committee on Autism: Autism Policy: Discussion (12 Jul 2022)

Anne Rabbitte: A structure has been put in place and we will build out those teams.

Joint Oireachtas Committee on Autism: Autism Policy: Discussion (12 Jul 2022)

Anne Rabbitte: Absolutely. I was on the site. For anyone here who does not know it, it is a claustrophobic building, so it is not the right environment for a child with high sensory needs. It is a closed space with narrow corridors. One feels that people with additional needs could hardly breathe, particularly if they are on the autism spectrum. I support both of the Deputy and the Chairman on the...

Joint Oireachtas Committee on Autism: Autism Policy: Discussion (12 Jul 2022)

Anne Rabbitte: I thank the Deputy. Aids and appliances are a priority of mine. A total of €540 million is spent every year on aids and appliances and yet I hear about children outgrowing their wheelchairs, not getting access to their shoes and not getting timely assessments for the right equipment. The point I am making is we need to work with education within disability. Within my own...

Joint Oireachtas Committee on Autism: Autism Policy: Discussion (12 Jul 2022)

Anne Rabbitte: I thank the Senator. What she has reflected there is that this is about integrated delivery of services. That is integration between education, health and the Department of Children, Equality, Disability, Integration and Youth. That must be the new conversation piece. If we are true to our line on the UNCRPD, it has to be about integration and the Government working together across...

Joint Oireachtas Committee on Autism: Autism Policy: Discussion (12 Jul 2022)

Anne Rabbitte: Absolutely. I totally understand why those families are asking us because they hear there are four weeks of July provision and they are lucky if they get a week and they hear they might get two weeks. Then they might hear of a fantastic provider where people get the four weeks and are wondering why they cannot have the same. I also need to recognise, as it would be wrong of me not to, that...

Joint Oireachtas Committee on Autism: Autism Policy: Discussion (12 Jul 2022)

Anne Rabbitte: I hear exactly what she is saying about the ECCE staff. Those staff finish up at the end of June and could be available and to be included as part of the scheme. Why not? We need as many people trained in creating that awareness and understanding of how to work with and support. That is what is should be about. On transport, I am not the Minister with responsibility and I have to keep...

Joint Oireachtas Committee on Autism: Autism Policy: Discussion (12 Jul 2022)

Anne Rabbitte: That is a fair point. We cannot have an ad hocapproach. It needs to be planned. We know how many children need support from our services. It is not like we do not know our numbers; we clearly know them. Planning has to be part of the solution. Putting out an advert in the middle of July like that is nearly wilful neglect by the units there.

Joint Oireachtas Committee on Autism: Autism Policy: Discussion (12 Jul 2022)

Anne Rabbitte: I thank the Chair and members for their time. I greatly appreciate the opportunity to come before this new committee. As I said, the reason I have been invested in the autism innovation strategy is not because I want to create new legislation; it is because I want to knit what we currently have in place and make it work, and to operationalise the system through me being in the centre...

Joint Oireachtas Committee on Autism: Autism Policy: Discussion (12 Jul 2022)

Anne Rabbitte: I thank the Deputy. He spoke about my Department actively engaging with other Departments. I believe that is what I am doing. If one can imagine a spider's web, I am stuck in the middle of it and I am trying to work across government and Departments and with all Ministers to find gaps where they exist in the system and address how it works or does not work. I referred earlier to play and...