I wish to raise with the Taoiseach the waiting lists for children's disability services in community healthcare organisation, CHO, 7. Nationally, the Taoiseach will be aware of the huge waiting times for assessment, diagnosis and treatment for children. In my area of CHO 7, the problem is particularly acute. We have some of the longest waiting lists in the country. We have had the reconfiguration of children's disability services, but we are still not seeing an improvement on the ground. In fact, in many instances, things just seem to be getting worse.

Children are left languishing on waiting lists while parents desperately wait for their child to be assessed or receive support. When I speak to these parents, I hear it in their voices. I hear the fear, desperation and panic. Can the Taoiseach provide them with an assurance that the Government is prioritising this and working to improve wait times and the standard of children's disability services, in particular in CHO 7? We know how important early intervention is. These parents and their children deserve that.

I thank the Deputy. Likewise, we face similar challenges in my own area of CHO 9, particularly in terms of the waiting lists. That is due for the most part to the lack of therapists within the children's disability network teams, CDNTs. That is a real struggle across the health system right now in terms of getting enough of the right people into those front-line positions. Addressing that and filling those positions is the key priority for me and for the Minister of State, Deputy Rabbitte, who has responsibility for these issues and which move now to our Department. We are working closely with the HSE right now in terms of the HSE bringing forward a road map on progressing disability services, recognising the challenges that exist and identifying in the short- to medium-term the steps towards how we can employ people immediately and get a better pipeline of occupational therapy, OT, staff and speech and language therapists into the country. It is also important to repair the relationship between the HSE and parents. We know that is badly damaged in many CHOs and we need to rebuild that relationship and trust.