Written answers

Thursday, 24 March 2022

Department of Children, Equality, Disability, Integration and Youth

Disabilities Assessments

Photo of Martin BrowneMartin Browne (Tipperary, Sinn Fein)
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35. To ask the Minister for Children, Equality, Disability, Integration and Youth the engagement he has had with the Department of Health to address the difficulties children are experiencing in accessing a timely assessment of needs; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [15103/22]

Photo of Roderic O'GormanRoderic O'Gorman (Dublin West, Green Party)
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The two key areas where my Department engages with the Department of Health in addressing access to assessment of needs are in relation to disability policy matters and the provision of specialist support for children with additional needs in early learning and care services through the Access and Inclusion Model (AIM).

Officials in my Department are engaging on an on-going basis with officials from the Department of Health on all disability policy matters as part of the work underway to prepare for the Transfer of Specialist Community Based Disability Services from the Department of Health to my Department. Throughout recent weeks and months officials have provided detailed briefing to me on the assessment of need process and its related issues. Against this backdrop I strongly supported and welcomed the significant additional funding provided in this year’s budget to the HSE to enhance the development of Children’s Network Disability Teams across the country. The recently approved and published HSE National Service Plan demonstrates a strong commitment by the HSE to continued improvement in disability services. I very much welcome the recent publication of the Disability Capacity Review which it is hoped will provide a future road map for expansion and improvement of disability services. In addition I meet regularly with Minister Rabbitte on all important areas. In the context of the recent High Court Judgement in relation to the Assessment of Need Standard Operation Procedure, I have been briefed that the Department of Health officials are engaging with the HSE to consider the impact and appropriate steps.

AIM is a programme of supports designed to ensure that children with disabilities can access and meaningfully participate in the Early Childhood Care and Education (ECCE) pre-school programme. AIM offers tailored, practical supports based on need and does not require a formal diagnosis of disability. It should be noted that a formal diagnosis of disability does not guarantee additional supports under AIM, as it may be found that existing supports are sufficient to ensure a child’s meaningful participation in the ECCE programme. The HSE form part of our structures and we engage from time to time on issues of assessment of need for therapeutic support. Other types of supports range from specific equipment and capital grants to assessing appropriate medical supports for children to enable them to attend preschool.

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