Seán Sherlock (Cork East, Labour)
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977. To ask the Minister for Health his views on whether current timelines for assessment of needs and implementation of services are adequate. [15063/20]

Anne Rabbitte (Galway East, Fianna Fail)
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The recently published Programme for Government document "Our Shared Future" recognises the need to improve services for both children and adults with disabilities through better implementation and by working together across Government in a better way.

Policy initiatives, currently being implemented by the HSE , in Children's Disability Services will, I am confident, improve the Assessment of Need process and reduce waiting times.

These initiatives include;

- The introduction, since January of this year, of a revised Standard Operating Procedure for Assessments of Need to ensure that there is a standardised approach to assessments across all areas. The purpose of this is to ensure children with disabilities and their families, access appropriate assessments and intervention therapy services as quickly as possible.

- The on-going reconfiguration, by the HSE, of its existing therapy resources for children with disabilities into multi-disciplinary geographically based teams, as part of its National Programme on Progressing Disability Services for Children and Young People. This Programme aims to achieve a national equitable approach in service provision for all children based on their individual need and regardless of their disability, where they live or where they go to school.

Evidence to date from areas where this has been rolled out shows that implementation of this programme will also have a positive impact on waiting lists both for Assessments of Need and therapy provision.

In addition, the HSE's 2019 National Service Plan provided for 100 additional therapy posts for children's disability services. The addition of this level of support is intended to help the Assessment of Needs process and enable more therapy interventions for children. All 100 posts are in place.