Disabilities Assessments
Dail Éireann — 2026-06-23
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Emer Higgins (FG), Dublin Mid-West

To be clear on the timelines, since the Deputy specifically asked, this is now launched. It will be rolled out in quarter 3 of this year. Right now, we are working with teams across the country to upskill and to train them on this new system of autism protocol and pathways. It is expected that when it is fully rolled out, each of the 20 integrated health areas will have one established inreach team. This year we will recruit 11 inreach teams. The final design and respective roles of the teams are being finalised. Recruitment for those inreach teams will commence in quarter 3 and quarter 4 of this year and they will be, as the Deputy referred to them in his remarks, the backup for the system. While it is not possible to quantify the exact impact at this stage in terms of assessments, it is anticipated that the successful implementation of the autism protocol will help to reduce demand for assessment of need, which the Deputy also mentioned. It will do that through the provision of a more direct and a clearer path to autism assessment for children and their families. To be clear, however, this does not in any way impact anybody's statutory right to an assessment of need. It is just a clearer access pathway through existing services such as primary care, our children's disability network teams and CAMHS, should people with an appropriate route to an assessment require one.

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Record URI: https://data.oireachtas.ie/akn/ie/debateRecord/dail/2026-06-23/debate/main
Retrieved: 2026-08-14T04:55:06+00:00
Sitting date: 2026-06-23