Dáil Éireann Debate, Tuesday - 28 November 2023
537. Deputy Pauline Tully asked the Minister for Children, Equality, Disability, Integration and Youth the actions he has taken or if he has plans to provide adequate financial supports to families who access assessments and supports privately due to their unavailability in the public health system until such time as vacant positions within CDNTs have been filled; and the estimated cost of undertaking this measure. [52438/23]
View answerThe CDNTs are currently providing therapy services for over 46,000 children.
Some families source private assessments to facilitate access to educational supports such as special schools or classes. In many cases, these are unidisciplinary assessments which are usually accepted in the education sector. In general, HSE or HSE funded services, in line with best practice guidelines, use a multidisciplinary approach to assessment, specifically to ASD assessment. In these circumstances, while HSE services may take cognisance of any unidisciplinary reports that may be available, they will undertake a multidisciplinary assessment where appropriate, to confirm a diagnosis and to determine the necessary interventions.
The HSE does not fund or reimburse any fees paid to private practitioners in any of the health service areas where assessments have been commissioned by the service user or their family. Approximately €11.5m was allocated to address waiting lists for clinical assessments identified through the Assessment of Need process in Budget 2023. This funding has been utilised to procure diagnostic assessments from the private sector.
In addition, the HSE Disability Services is working with HSE Procurement on the final elements of a procurement process for the delivery of additional Assessments of Need from private providers. A successful procurement process, having regard to the overall capacity constraints within both the private and public sectors, will facilitate the CDNTs to focus on the provision of intervention for children on their caseloads.
