Dáil Éireann Debate, Wednesday - 15 April 2026
312. Deputy Robert O'Donoghue asked the Minister for Children, Disability and Equality the progress that has been made in the rollout of the €20 million allocated in Budget 2026 for the assessment of needs, targeted at a waiting list initiative; the specific programmes or services funded to date; the regional distribution of the funding; the expected outcomes and timelines for completion; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [27402/26]
View answerThe Assessment of Need Targeted Waitlist Initiative provides funding for the procurement of private clinical assessments from approved private providers, for those families waiting the longest for an Assessment of Need. These clinical assessments support the delivery of assessment of need reports by HSE Assessment Officers.
The Initiative began in June 2024 and, by the end of 2025, 7,700 multidisciplinary clinical assessments were commissioned from private providers at a cost of €27.8 million.
In 2026, the focus of the AON Targeted Waitlist Initiative will be on the provision of multidisciplinary autism diagnostic assessments with €20m allocated for this purpose. The HSE has put in place a new panel of service providers to deliver these assessments for children and adolescents, at a fixed price cost of €2,900 per assessment. This will enable the delivery of approximately 6,000 clinical assessments in 2026. The Panel will be in place for one year, with the option to extend for a further year.
The Department has requested an update from the HSE on the regional distribution of the funding and progress made to date this year and will respond directly to the Deputy when this is received.
While Government remains committed to utilising private capacity to address the delays with the AON process in 2026, we cannot rely on the private sector indefinitely so we must ensure that the public system can meet the clearly growing demand. The Department is working with the HSE to ensure the delivery of actions to support the efficient delivery of Assessments of Need within the public system. These include legislative reform, as well as operational improvements such as improved training for staff involved in the delivery of AONs, and plans to increase the numbers of Assessment Officers, Liaison Officers and administrative supports. The aim of these improvements is to make the AON process more effective and efficient for children and families. Over time, this should lead to a reduction in the waiting times to receive an AON report.
The proposed legislative changes will not remove any rights for parents to apply for an Assessment of Need for their child. They also will not alter the statutory six-month timeline set out in the Disability Act. Details of the proposed legislative reforms are [available on the Department website] at: www.gov.ie/en/department-of-children-disability-and-equality/publications/from-subject-received-size-categories-aoife-carragher-dcde-fw-dcde-website-aon-1532-1-mb/ along with an FAQ for children, families and other stakeholders.
The provision of an effective and efficient Assessment of Need system continues to be a priority for the Government.
