Dáil Éireann Debate, Tuesday - 24 May 2022
614. Deputy Pádraig O'Sullivan asked the Minister for Health if consideration will be given to amending the Disability Act 2005 to enable children that need additional supports to have a right in law to appropriate services and not just an entitlement to an assessment of needs; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [25932/22]
View answerThere are currently no plans to progress a review of the Disability Act, although the Department does keep its legislative programme under ongoing review.
In the context of improving services, there is ongoing engagement between the Department of Health and the HSE in order to bolster the capacity of the respective Children's Disability Network Teams throughout the country, in order to provide Assessments of Need and quicker access to therapy supports.
In this regard, HSE recruitment for therapy posts continues and there is ongoing engagement with the Heads of Disability Services across the nine CHOs to review service provision. In parallel, detailed discussions are ongoing with relevant stakeholders and representative groups in relation to a revised approach to the Assessment of Need, one which seeks to be both legally compliant and ensure a timely pathway to therapeutic interventions.
