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

Absolutely. This process is all about families, children and ensuring that we have appropriate and faster access to the most appropriate clinical decisions. This is also in response to the fact that 40% of assessments, of children who are going through assessments of need, are being diagnosed as autistic. As a result of that, through five years of collaboration, hard work and clinical expertise, this protocol has been designed as part of the response to that. That is not just in Ireland. The OECD finds that there has been, overall, almost a 10% increase in autistic presentations. This is to support that but to clarify, it is totally different, distinct and independent from the assessments of need process and there is no change to anybody's statutory right to an assessment of need. What we are trying to do here is provide a quicker and clearer access pathway through our existing services, whether it is primary care, CDNTs or CAMHS teams, for people who are presenting as potentially autistic. We have three tiers as part of that protocol.

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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