81. Deputy Paul Lawless asked the Minister for Children, Disability and Equality the number of children currently waiting on an assessment of need under the Disability Act 2005, by county; and the longest length of time a child currently on the list has been waiting for an assessment. [64907/26]

The Department and the HSE are working intensively to address delays in the provision of Assessments of Need to children and their families.

There has been significant increase in demand for Assessment of Need in recent years. Applications for Assessment of Need have risen from 4,700 in 2020 to over 13,000 in 2025, reflecting both the increase in population and the number of families exploring all options to access services for their child.?

Unfortunately, demand has outpaced the capacity of the system to respond. The HSE reports that at the end of June, 23,282 children were overdue to receive an Assessment of Need report within the statutory timeframe set out in the Disability Act 2005.

While the HSE does not provide a breakdown of data by county, reports are provided by Regional Health Area (RHA) and Local Health Organisation (LHO). I can provide the Deputy with a LHO breakdown of overdue cases as a written response.

The HSE does not routinely monitor the wait times for individual applications – this is dependent on several factors including the complexity of each case and whether multi-disciplinary, single discipline input and/or clinical assessments are required. However, the most recent data for Q2 2026 reports the average duration of the process per report completed nationally was 24.3 months. This average will vary depending on region.

It is very clear that change is needed. There has been progress over the past two years with a noticeable increase in the number of completed applications. Over 5,900 AON reports were completed in 2025 – a 43% increase compared to 2024. 3,043 assessment reports have been completed in the first six months of 2026. This improvement must continue.

Significant legislative and operational work is underway to improve the AON process and reduce waiting times. This includes continuation of the Targeted Waitlist Initiative, improved training and guidelines for Assessment Officers and targeted amendment of the Disability (Amendment) Bill to improve the efficiency and effectiveness of the Assessment of Need process.

Of course, improving access to services and supports in the wider disability sector remains a priority. Supports can and do continue through Primary Care, Children’s Disability Services Teams, and CAMHs. Children do not need an Assessment of Need to access any of these services, nor does having an AON speed up access to supports. Families can access and apply for services directly through the HSE.

The HSE is implementing actions to address the wider issue of access to services and supports for children with disabilities including:

• The Single Point of Access referral model is being introduced by the HSE and should make it easier for families to be referred to the right service as early as possible.

• The Autism Assessment and Intervention Protocol is being implemented by the HSE and will be the preferred assessment route for autism assessment.

• The creation of 11 new HSE In-Reach teams to support assessment processes, including AON, providing clinical guidance and administrative supports.