Maurice Quinlivan (Limerick City, Sinn Fein)
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161. To ask the Minister for Children, Disability and Equality if an appointment for an autism diagnosis for a child (details supplied) will be expedited as a matter of urgency; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [57636/25]

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.

Richard Boyd Barrett (Dún Laoghaire, People Before Profit Alliance)
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162. To ask the Minister for Children, Disability and Equality if they will advise on a transport issue for a person with disabilities (details supplied) with a view to providing support in getting them to daily services which are invaluable to them; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [57643/25]

Hildegarde Naughton (Galway West, Fine Gael)
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The HSE provides specialist disability services, including Day Services and Rehabilitative Training, to people with disabilities who require such services, and people with intellectual disabilities would form the majority of service users who are supported by these services. While day service funding does not include transport, some transport supports are provided by the HSE or funded agencies on a discretionary basis, and a variety of transport solutions are pursued in different CHO areas. These include travel training to enable public transport to be used, where appropriate, such as Local Link, private bus transport and taxis, and some service providers provide transport where capacity exists.

In general, day service users are in receipt of disability allowance and are automatically entitled to the Free Travel Pass.

The HSE have been working with the National Transport Authority on this issue of transport to day services, through the ‘Open Routes’ project. Open Routes is based on the idea that transport to HSE services such as day services would be best served by accessible local public transport such as the Local Link, transporting people to their day services, but also serving the wider local community as well with enhanced public transport provision.

Under the National Human Rights Strategy for Disabled People, the Department of Transport has responsibility for the continued development of accessibility and availability of accessible public transport.

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.