Written answers
Tuesday, 25 February 2025
Department of Children, Equality, Disability, Integration and Youth
Disability Services
Matt Carthy (Cavan-Monaghan, Sinn Fein)
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773. To ask the Minister for Children, Equality, Disability, Integration and Youth the dates of each speech and language appointment provided to a child (details supplied) since they were diagnosed with autism and global development delay in April 2024; if this is considered to be an appropriate level of care; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [7776/25]
Hildegarde Naughton (Galway West, Fine Gael)
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As this question refers to service matters, I have asked the Health Service Executive (HSE) to respond to the Deputy directly, as soon as possible.
Matt Carthy (Cavan-Monaghan, Sinn Fein)
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774. To ask the Minister for Children, Equality, Disability, Integration and Youth the dates of each occupational therapy appointment provided to a child (details supplied) since they were diagnosed with autism and global development delay in April 2024; if this is considered to be an appropriate level of care; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [7777/25]
Hildegarde Naughton (Galway West, Fine Gael)
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As this question refers to service matters, I have asked the Health Service Executive (HSE) to respond to the Deputy directly, as soon as possible.
Matt Carthy (Cavan-Monaghan, Sinn Fein)
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775. To ask the Minister for Children, Equality, Disability, Integration and Youth if she will ensure that the parents of three children (details supplied) are reimbursed for the costs of securing private speech and language and occupational therapy services considering the CDNT/a named organisation have failed to provide these services to an adequate level; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [7778/25]
Hildegarde Naughton (Galway West, Fine Gael)
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As this question refers to service matters, I have asked the Health Service Executive (HSE) to respond to the Deputy directly, as soon as possible.
Matt Carthy (Cavan-Monaghan, Sinn Fein)
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776. To ask the Minister for Children, Equality, Disability, Integration and Youth the current position for parents who are forced to access private appointments in services such as speech and language, occupational therapy, psychology, and so on, in cases whereby their CDNT fails to provide those services; if there is a mechanism for such families to be reimbursed or grant aided the costs of such private care; if she intends to review the policies in this regard; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [7779/25]
Hildegarde Naughton (Galway West, Fine Gael)
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The demand for AONs and Therapies 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.
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.
As advised by HSE the HSE does not fund or reimburse any fees paid to private practitioners in any of the health service areas where assessments, interventions or therapies have been commissioned by the service user or their family directly. The HSE has no mandate or financial mechanism to reimburse fees paid by families directly to private agencies for health services. If a parent or guardian has identified a private provider or assessor willing to carry out an Assessment on their child, they can discuss this with HSE representatives. If the provider has the appropriate qualifications and meets the HSE’s criteria in relation to the relevant standards as outlined above, then they may be contracted to undertake assessments. The HSE will pay the provider/assessor directly for any assessment.
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.
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