Rory Hearne (Dublin North-West, Social Democrats)
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456. To ask the Minister for Education and Skills if work is being done to establish a multi-disciplinary team to deliver a child-centred, school-based service across occupational therapy, speech and language therapy, and psychology in primary schools in the Ballymun area, given current levels of need; if she will engage with the Ballymun Implementation Board established by the Government in relation to same; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [8184/25]

Helen McEntee (Meath East, Fine Gael)
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I can confirm that my department is represented on the Ballymun Implementation Board since it was established at the end of July last year. The focus of the Board will be to drive and co-ordinate change in the Ballymun Area, with an emphasis on addressing the issues and recommendations in the Ballymun “A Brighter Future” Montague report and the Safer Ballymun Strategy. The work of the Board is at the early planning stage. My department will continue to be represented on the Board and will engage on any education-related requests that are raised. To date, there has been no formal request from the Board to establish a multi-disciplinary team in the area.

The provision of clinical therapy supports to children is the responsibility of the HSE, through Primary Care or the Children’s Network Disability Teams (CDNT). However, my department is committed to enabling children and young people achieve their full potential. In this regard, my department is working with the Department of Health, the Department of Children, Equality, Disability, Integration and Youth and the HSE to develop and strengthen more coherent structures to enable children and young people to access therapeutic supports and has introduced initiatives such as the enhanced in-school therapy supports pilot, in special schools, and the Educational Therapy Support Service.