Thomas Gould (Cork North-Central, Sinn Fein)
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173. To ask the Minister for Children, Disability and Equality whether she is aware that there is currently a 36 month waiting list for assessment of need in Cork. [28234/26]

Norma Foley (Kerry, Fianna Fail)
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The delivery of an effective, efficient Assessment of Need system is a priority for the Government. There has been intensive work by the Department of Children, Disability and Equality and the HSE to address delays in the provision of Assessments of Need.

Under the Disability Act, an Assessment of Need is an assessment process carried out by the HSE where a person is of the opinion that he/she may have a disability, for anyone born after 1st June 2002. It first establishes whether the person has a disability (as defined within the Act). It then identifies the health and education needs of the person with a disability and the services required to meet those needs.

It is important to note that children do not require an Assessment of Need to access health services, including Primary Care, Children’s Disability Network Teams or Mental Health Services.

However, demand for Assessments of Need has increased significantly in recent years, reflecting both the increase in population and the number of families exploring all options to access services for their child. The impact of this increased demand has contributed to there being over 20,200 applications overdue for completion nationwide at the end of 2025 according to the most recently available HSE data.

While the average duration of the assessment process per report completed in Q4 2025 was reported by the HSE as 26.14 months nationally, we do not receive this data by county or region. The HSE does not provide data on the average wait time per assessment, which varies between regions and is dependent on the needs and case of each individual child.

The HSE does not provide data on a county basis, but by Regional Health Area (RHA) and Local Health Office (LHO). The most recent data for the Local Health Offices in Cork shows that a total of 1,751 AON reports are overdue for completion as of Q4 2025. This number reflects the high number of applications for an Assessment of Need in these LHOs, with 2,056 applications received in 2025 and 1,568 in 2024.

More positively, there has been continued improvement in the number of completed assessment of need reports with 5,939 reports completed nationally in 2025. This is a 43% increase nationally compared to the number completed in 2024. This improvement is reflected in the Cork regions although not to the same extent.

In December 2025 Government announced a series of improvements to the Assessment of Need process which will make the process more effective and efficient for children and families. Over time, this should lead to a reduction in the waiting time to receive an assessment. This reform includes legislative reform and operational improvements to support the efficiency and effectiveness of the Assessment of Need process.

The proposed legislative changes will not remove any rights for parents to apply for an Assessment of Need for their child. They also will not alter the statutory six-month timeline set out in the Disability Act.

The General Scheme of the Disability (Amendment) Bill has been published on the Department’s website. An FAQ document has also been published, providing information on Assessment of Need and the proposed changes for parents and any other interested stakeholders.

It is important to recognise that legislation is only a part of the response. The Department is working with the HSE to identify further opportunities to enhance processes, improve training, and increase administrative supports for HSE Assessment Officers who are responsible for the production of assessment reports. This includes the establishment of working groups to address learning and development needs and to develop statutory guidelines.

The HSE is also implementing actions to address the wider issue of access to services and supports for children with disabilities including:

• Introduction of a Single Point of Access system by the HSE in 2026. This should make it easier for families to be referred to the right service, whether that is primary care, CDNT or mental health services. It aims to streamline referrals and reduce duplication, so children do not end up on multiple waiting lists.
• Implementation of the Autism Assessment and Intervention Pathways Protocol by the HSE in early 2026. The Protocol will provide a standardised assessment process across primary care, mental health and disability services. It will be the preferred assessment route for autism.
• The creation of eleven new HSE teams, initially, to support assessment processes, including AON, providing clinical guidance and administrative supports.