I have 11 and a half minutes left on the clock and two Deputies who have waited very long and very late. If we can be a little economical with our time, we will see if we can reach both of those questions.

This question will be introduced by Deputy Carroll MacNeill.

Proving that patience is a virtue, Deputy Leddin has been reached for Question No. 72.

I will start with a specific question and then broaden the discussion out. The specific question is on the issue of handwriting assessments, and the broader issue concerns occupational therapy. I ask the Minister the steps his Department is taking to address the barriers to the recruitment of occupational therapists into the HSE, and particularly to address the delays in the provision of handwriting assessments for children; and to make a statement on the matter.

Like so many of these things, this question arises from a specific query. The Minister of State, Deputy Butler, will know the lay of the land well. It concerns the reconfiguration of services in County Waterford. A constituent in Tramore was transferred to the Dungarvan CDNT. After making an inquiry on her behalf, first of all I was told that the child's mother had waited for a number of weeks for a reply and an apology was made. That did not surprise me because I waited a number of weeks for a reply. If you contac…

I have corresponded with the Minister of State, and I acknowledge that she is very proactive in this space. However, there is a persistent problem in the particular CDNT to which I have referred. It needs to be addressed and the issue needs to be resolved for the sake of the children and parents who so desperately need access to those services. In October of this year, a survey of occupational therapists in Ireland found that more than two thirds of occupational therapists have experienced burn-out as a result of t…

The issue of teacher shortages was well aired this morning but there is a specific concern about teacher shortages in Irish-medium schools. In the Gaelcholáistí, it is proving extremely challenging to get teachers who can take subjects like woodwork and metalwork - home economics is a particular problem - trí mheán na Gaeilge. Do we have a specific plan to help our Gaelcholáistí to recruit people?

I echo Deputy Howlin's comments regarding how interesting it is to reflect on the agenda of the EU Council meeting and how we could not have foreseen many of the items on it when we look back to the start of the Taoiseach's tenure. It is interesting in the context of not just those items on the agenda but even those items that have slipped off it. Deputy Gannon made a good point regarding what is not on the agenda but that should possibly be there. The Covid-19 pandemic has slipped down the agenda to such an extent…

I am mindful that we are well over time on this grouping, but I am agreeable to allowing more time if Members wish to permit some leeway. Is that agreed? Agreed.

Deputy, the Minister will contribute again later.

The Deputy will have a further two minutes and the Minister will have another chance to respond at the end. I call Deputy Cullinane.

We will have a second round and the Deputy will be allowed two minutes.

The speaking lengths for Report Stage are seven minutes in the first round and two minutes for the second round-----

-----regardless of whether the amendment is in the name of the Deputy.

I am trying to follow the initial order as closely as I can. Did Deputy Carthy want to contribute?

The Deputy would be next on my list, in that case. I can come back to the Deputy, if he needs a moment.

That is fine. In that case, I call Deputy Buckley.

Next is the Regional Group, with Deputies Fitzpatrick and Verona Murphy sharing time.

We discussed this issue at a meeting of the Joint Committee on Autism recently. I am seeking further detail on the announcement of the funding allocations to be made under PATH 4, phase 1. I wish to know the institutions that have applied for funding and whether the quantum of funding will be sufficient to meet the demand. Will the Minister make a statement on the matter?

I thank the Minister for the answer. I want to try to dig down and understand how the funding allocation model works. The Minister stated that there is base funding, with a proportion allocated on the basis of student numbers. In regard to applying a cost-benefit analysis, €3 million in the first year is a significant amount. I want to rest assured that we are giving plenty of guidance to the HEIs on how to proceed and that we are scaffolding their efforts around it. We must have an evaluation process to ensure tha…