The CDNT in my home town of New Ross, County Wexford, is like most other CDNTs in the country and is simply not fit for purpose. Currently, 258 children are assigned to the CDNT in New Ross, all of whom require some level of therapeutic input. Many of them are waiting for more than one intervention. The CDNT in New Ross has no senior social worker, no speech and language therapist, no dietician, no clinical nurse manager, no manager, and I could go on. This is now a repetitive plight that so many others in this House have brought to the floor day in and day out, following responses from and representations made to the HSE. However, the list continues to get longer. Children are gravely regressing and their families are simply lost and disillusioned by a health service that is causing grave harm instead of any healing. My simple question is: when is it going to change for the children and families of New Ross, Wexford, Enniscorthy, Gorey and every other part of this country?

I thank the Deputy for raising the issue. As I said earlier, this day last week I met with Bernard Gloster. Myself and the Minister, Deputy O’Gorman, have to put together, along with the team within the HSE, a progressing disability services, PDS, roadmap, which will examine a suite of measures along with sponsorship and apprenticeship programmes, employment of graduates as therapy assistants as they await their CORU registration, and the expansion of the therapy assistant in the system with the HSE supporting individuals to return to education. Finally, Bernard Gloster gave a commitment that for any children awaiting intervention and assessment, we will use private capacity as well, ensuring that no child is left behind unduly.