Disabilities Assessments
Dail Éireann — 2025-12-18
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Ruairí Ó Murchú (SF), Louth

If we are talking about the first quarter for the education piece, it could be as far away as March before we have clarity on it. It needs to happen as soon as possible.
When will we see delivery on the single point of access? I think Bernard Gloster said that those who have the best things to say about the CDNTs are those who have a contact person they can engage with because then they know the ins and outs. That is where some of this falls apart. Sometimes there needs to be a straight conversation about supports and about the future trajectory for children and parents. When that is lacking, obviously it does not work.
The Minister of State is saying that in January or at least some point in the first quarter of next year, the autism protocol will operate. As that waiting list becomes populated, will we have capacity to deliver on it?
Will the new teams ensure there is a greater level of communication? As I have said before, I am worried about recruiting to all the bodies need to recruit to. Will they be able to deal with the huge cohort that are on the waiting list now and the parents who have suffered because they did not have the supports they should have?

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Record URI: https://data.oireachtas.ie/akn/ie/debateRecord/dail/2025-12-18/debate/main
Retrieved: 2026-08-14T04:54:29+00:00
Sitting date: 2025-12-18