Martin Browne (Tipperary, Sinn Fein)
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961. To ask the Minister for Children, Equality, Disability, Integration and Youth if an independent review of the Progressing Disability Services programme will be subject to an independent review to make them more effective; if such a review is anticipated; if an alternative programme will be explored; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [13335/23]

Anne Rabbitte (Galway East, Fianna Fail)
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The implementation of the Progressing Disability Services for Children & Young People (PDS) programme is agreed Government and HSE policy and seeks to address the previous inequity in service provision whereby there may have been an excellent service for some children and little or no service for others. However, it has been acknowledged that the transition to policy-based Children’s Disability Network Teams under the PDS Programme has been challenging for many families and staff.

I can advise that following a meeting between the CEO of the HSE and Ministers Donnelly, O’Gorman and I last year, it was agreed that an overarching roadmap would be developed by the HSE to support all stakeholders to progress the next phase of implementation of PDS model. The roadmap document will set out the actions being proposed by the HSE to improve services for children with disabilities and developmental delays as well as their families. The draft Roadmap does provide for a review of the implementation of PDS to date.

The Department continues to engage with the HSE in relation to finalising the Roadmap document so relevant actions can be agreed and commenced. This process is in the final stages with detailed feedback having been supplied to the HSE in relation to the document.