Robert O'Donoghue (Dublin Fingal West, Labour)
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134. To ask the Minister for Children, Disability and Equality in light of the ongoing delays in the provision of assessments of need and therapeutic supports, and the well-documented crisis in the disability sector, if he will consider establishing a dedicated purchase or reimbursement fund to support families who have been forced to pay privately for assessments and interventions due to prolonged wait times; the measures being taken to ensure that children are not disadvantaged or left without essential services while waiting for publicly funded assessments or therapies; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [38017/25]

Norma Foley (Kerry, Fianna Fail)
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This Government absolutely recognises that waiting times for Assessment of Need (AON) services and therapeutic interventions are far too long and is committed to improving the current situation.

It is important to be aware that, while children have a right to apply for an AON, they do not need one in order to access health services, including those provided by Primary Care, Children’s Disability Network Teams (CDNTs) or Mental Health Services. However, it is accepted that the current system is not working as it should for children, many of whom are on long waiting lists for these services. My Department and the HSE are working to address current delays children are facing to access CDNT and AON supports through a number of actions.

One such action is the targeted waiting list initiative which funds the procurement of capacity from private providers to deliver AONs. HSE data shows that over 3,600 assessments have been commissioned from private providers between June 2024 and the end of March this year under this initiative. This measure targets those families waiting longest for AONs, with the HSE reimbursing clinicians directly through the procurement of capacity from approved private providers. This provides a more equitable and fair approach rather than reimbursement of parents directly.

However, we cannot rely on the private sector indefinitely for solutions to the delays in access to AONs so we must ensure that actions are implemented so the public system can grow with demand. Efforts are continuing to improve staffing in the public system through recruitment and retention actions. Looking at the CDNTs in particular, there has been clear progress with recent HSE data showing a decrease in CDNT vacancy rates from 29% in October 2023 to 18% in April 2025.

These actions have contributed to improvements being made in terms of the number of AONs being completed. In 2024 there was a 30% increase in the number of AONs completed compared to 2023. Recent HSE data shows that this trend is continuing this year with a 65% increase in completed AONs in the first three months of the year, compared to the same period last year.

While with regards to waiting lists, 13,500 children were waiting for CDNT services in May 2024, the most recent data from Q1 2025 shows a modest decrease to 11,938. Although this is an improvement this is still not where it should be but need to recognise the good work that has been carried out to decrease these waiting times.

This is an issue the Government is taking extremely seriously and is working to put in place an effective and efficient system which meets the needs of children who need it.