Peter 'Chap' Cleere
Ceist:56. Deputy Peter 'Chap' Cleere asked the Minister for Children, Disability and Equality when changes to assessment of need will come into force; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [73266/25]
Amharc ar fhreagraThursday, 18 December 2025
Ceisteanna (56)
Freagraí scríofa
Under the Disability Act, an Assessment of Need is an assessment process carried out by the HSE where a person is of the opinion that he/she may have a disability, for anyone born after 1st June 2002. It first establishes whether the person has a disability (as defined within the Act). It then identifies the health and education needs of the person with a disability and the services required to meet those needs.
On December 9th, Government announced a series of reforms to the Assessment of Need process which will make the process more effective and efficient for children and families. These reforms include changes to Part 2 of the Disability Act, 2005, which provides for Assessments of Need. The General Scheme of the Disability (Amendment) Bill 2025 was approved by Government on 9 December and will be published on the Department’s website shortly. As part of the development of the General Scheme, a Regulatory Impact Assessment was prepared, and this will also be published.
These changes will not remove any rights for parents to apply for an Assessment of Need for their child, nor will they alter the statutory six-month timeline set out in the Disability Act.
The Department is currently at an early stage of the legislative process. It is expected that the General Scheme will undergo pre-legislative scrutiny by the Oireachtas Committee on Disability Matters early in the New Year.
The provision of an effective and efficient Assessment of Need system continues to be a priority for the Government.