What we have in Laois and Offaly in relation to services for children with special needs and autism is a black spot. There are roughly 900 children at any one time on a waiting list for assessment of needs. There is no occupational therapy, OT, in primary care for children and young adults in Laois, and the latest information I have is that there is no approval to recruit such an occupational therapist. Four OT posts are vacant in children and young people's services. I asked the HSE on 17 February to confirm if approval had been given, but I still have not received an answer. The Minister for Health is sitting beside the Tánaiste. Is there approval from the Department of Health and the HSE management to recruit occupational therapists for young persons and children in Laois and Offaly? What progress is being made on that? Is the answer "Yes" or "No"?

I thank Deputy Stanley. I know that much of this is the responsibility of the Department of disability, which, obviously, works with the HSE. The Deputy raises an important issue. My understanding is that there is now approval for 11 therapy posts in the midlands. Let me follow up with the HSE on that. Deputy Clendennen reminds me of this. I will come back to the Deputy directly on the OT piece.

There is also the broader body of work that I hope we can get right, as an Oireachtas, in terms of the assessment of need legislation that we are looking at together. I believe that pre-legislative scrutiny at the committee is due to conclude shortly. We need to look at the legislative structures that we have in place to make sure everybody has a right to an assessment of need, absolutely, but that the structures work much better. That is a really important thing.

With regard to the therapy posts, let me get the Deputy a note in relation to the midlands.

I ask that it be followed up.

I will follow it up.