Pa Daly (Kerry, Sinn Fein)
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2449. To ask the Minister for Children, Disability and Equality the urgent actions her Department will take to address the backlog of over 14,000 overdue assessments of need for children requiring disability services; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [43045/25]

Ruairí Ó Murchú (Louth, Sinn Fein)
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2476. To ask the Minister for Children, Disability and Equality the changes she proposes to assessment of needs; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [43548/25]

Norma Foley (Kerry, Fianna Fail)
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I propose to take Questions Nos. 2449 and 2476 together.

My Department is committed to reforming the Assessment of Need (AON) process to streamline it for the benefit of children who need it. This is reflected in the current Programme for Government which includes a clear commitment to support families who are waiting for an AON and to ensure children and their families can access the supports they need.

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 services.

Looking at Assessments of Need, there was a 30% increase in the number of completed assessments in 2024 compared to 2023. This trend has continued in the first six months of this year with over 2,900 assessments completed nationally - a 58% increase compared to the same period last year. Nevertheless, demand for AONs continues to be high and is exceeding the capacity of the system, leading to an increasing number of overdue assessment applications. My Department and the HSE are working to address these delays through a number of actions including the improvement of the efficiency and effectiveness of the AON process.

One such action is the targeted waiting list initiative which funds the procurement of capacity from private providers to deliver AONs, targeting those families waiting longest. Funding of €9.5m has been provided for the initiative this year and HSE data to the end of June 2025 shows that almost 5,000 assessments have been commissioned from private providers since the initiative began in June 2024.

While I remain committed to utilising private capacity to support the completion of AON into the future, we cannot rely on the private sector indefinitely so we must ensure that the public system can meet the clearly growing demand. My Department is working with the HSE to ensure the delivery of actions to support the efficient delivery of Assessments of Need within the public system. This includes improved training for staff involved in the delivery of AONs, additional administrative supports, and plans to increase the numbers of Assessment Officers and Liaison Officers in areas with the longest waiting lists for AON.

In addition to these operational measures, at the direction of Government, officials in my Department are currently reviewing potential legislative changes in consultation with the Office of the Attorney General to support the effectiveness and efficiency of the AON process. My Department has been working with HSE senior management and experienced clinicians to identify those changes, with the intention of bringing forward legislation in the latter half of this year. It is important to note that any changes will not affect the statutory right of any individual to access an AON.

Ciarán Ahern (Dublin South West, Labour)
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2450. To ask the Minister for Children, Disability and Equality the funding provided in each of the previous five years to CDNT 1, 2 3, 7, and 8 in CHO7, in tabular form; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [43087/25]

Norma Foley (Kerry, Fianna Fail)
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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.