Róisín Garvey (Green Party) | Oireachtas source

We are all aware of the situation the Minister of State was handed when she took office. I congratulate the Minister of State on her great work since then. There are many broken issues and she has dealt with them with great stealth and passion, for which I thank her. The Progressing Disability Services for Children and Young People is a national programme which is changing the way services are provided, which is a positive outcome.

As I am from Clare, I wish to highlight the figures released in February which state that 524 children across the community healthcare organisation, CHO, 3 region that covers Clare, Limerick and north Tipperary, are overdue an assessment of their needs. This included and was not limited to those on the autism spectrum and those awaiting assessments. On a personal level, I have seen first-hand what happens when people get early intervention and the difference it can make. I am sure the Minister of State is aware of that. I support her and offer my assistance in any way I can.

It seems every individual parent has to fight for services and rights for their children. It is as though each individual kid becomes a whole new problem, as if there has never been a child with this issue before, and that is not fair on parents. It is challenging enough to be parent, but it is even more so to be the parent of a child with special needs. There is something wrong with parents having to launch a huge campaign for each individual child. I am not saying this is the Minister of State's fault. Sometimes people become numbers on computers. They are not numbers on computers; they are our children and our future, and we need to support the parents and services in any way we can. It should not be left to fundraising for the different services needed. The State has access to money and there should be no issues in regard to services. What is the Minister of State doing to progress this very challenging issue?