Pádraig O'Sullivan (Cork North-Central, Fianna Fail)
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538. To ask the Minister for Children, Equality, Disability, Integration and Youth her plans to increase the staffing and training of more therapists in children’s disability teams; if she plans to support families who are waiting too long for an assessment of needs; the way she intends helping them to procure assessments privately; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [4329/25]

Norma Foley (Kerry, Fianna Fail)
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The demand for AONs has increased significantly in recent years. It is a reflection of both the increase in population and of families exploring all options for accessing services for their child.

Under the 2025 Programme for Government – “Securing Ireland’s Future”, this Government is committed to renewing efforts in order to enhance services to better support the needs of children with disabilities in Ireland.

The Progressing Disability Services (PDS) Roadmap 2023 – 2026, launched by the HSE in October 2023 focuses on the ongoing development of Children’s Disability Network Team (CDNT) services to meet current and growing demand.

Under the new Programme for Government we will:

- Continue to increase the number of places in higher education in order to expand the pipeline of future therapists;

- Introduce specific recruitment and retention incentives for therapists to work on CDNTs, along with a CDNT sponsorship programme with bursaries for fourth year and postgrad students linked to acceptance of (conditional) job offers;

- Continue to expand placements on CDNTs;

- Recruit more therapists into primary care, in order to meet the needs of the vast majority of children with disabilities that avail of mainstream services rather than specialist (CDNT) services.

The waiting list initiative targets those families waiting longest for AONs, with the HSE reimbursing clinicians directly through the procurement of capacity from approved private providers.

Under Budget 2025, Government will facilitate the continuation of the Assessment of Need Waiting List Initiative to enable the procurement of private assessments for long-waiting families, with €10m funding allocated in 2025 to deliver circa 2,850 AONs and allow for additional capacity in the assessment teams in the form of assessment and liaison officers.

Increased funding in Budget 2025 will provide for the recruitment of new posts for the CDNTs - 20 senior grade and 20 staff grade therapists / nursing WTE & 20 therapy assistants. 15 clinical psychologist trainee placements have also been funded.

The Government will strive to engage with the HSE, families and service providers in order to ensure each child receives the support and services they require.