Micheál Carrigy (Fine Gael) | Oireachtas source

I thank the Minister of State, Deputy Rabbitte, for the phenomenal work she has done. Much work has been done to make changes, but these changes are not going to happen for possibly a number of years. In the meantime, we still have kids waiting over 12 months for assessment. Parents are getting private assessments themselves to get the early intervention that is needed. It states here the NTPF does not have the statutory remit, but we are in the Oireachtas that makes those changes and we can make that change if we want to. The supports here are of a higher need than a lot of things that are in the NTPF and that is extremely important. It is not a reason for not using it. It is there and there is a process and administration there. This could be administered very easily if an allocation of funding was put into it. As I said, it would only apply where somebody is on a waiting list, is not able to get the service and is going to a properly CORU-registered person. The system is there within the NTPF to do it. We make the laws here and we can change the laws and the remit of the fund to make it happen.