Results 221-240 of 9,639 for speaker:Hildegarde Naughton

Committee on Disability Matters: Progressing the Delivery of Disability Policy and Services: Discussion (Resumed) (2 Jul 2025)

Hildegarde Naughton: The first issue is the assessment of need. Everyone will continue to have a statutory right to an assessment of need.

Committee on Disability Matters: Progressing the Delivery of Disability Policy and Services: Discussion (Resumed) (2 Jul 2025)

Hildegarde Naughton: No. Everyone agrees that the process is not working. Everyone can have a statutory right but the process is broken.

Committee on Disability Matters: Progressing the Delivery of Disability Policy and Services: Discussion (Resumed) (2 Jul 2025)

Hildegarde Naughton: The work we are doing on the assessment of need has not been finalised. However, the aim is to ensure people are provided with assessments in a more timely and efficient manner. We must also ensure the processing time is more efficient. We can reduce the waiting time for assessment of need applicants. The legislative focus on Part 2 of the Disability Act will be supported by operational...

Committee on Disability Matters: Progressing the Delivery of Disability Policy and Services: Discussion (Resumed) (2 Jul 2025)

Hildegarde Naughton: To answer the Deputy's question on the number of unfilled whole-time equivalents, there are 445.4 unfilled positions. We have provided additional posts year on year in order that the actual vacancy rate would be reduced. We have provided additional posts and we have never had more in post. We have more people working in CDNTs now than ever before but we must ensure we can cope with...

Committee on Disability Matters: Progressing the Delivery of Disability Policy and Services: Discussion (Resumed) (2 Jul 2025)

Hildegarde Naughton: Does the Deputy mean a link worker to support families?

Committee on Disability Matters: Progressing the Delivery of Disability Policy and Services: Discussion (Resumed) (2 Jul 2025)

Hildegarde Naughton: Bernard Gloster and the HSE are looking at both issues. These are operational matters for them. I know that Mr. Gloster is working on that single point of access. Regardless of whether a person needs to access CAMHS, primary care or a CDNT, there will be one point of entry and it will be signposted so that people are not just put on waiting lists. The HSE has commenced its work on...

Committee on Disability Matters: Progressing the Delivery of Disability Policy and Services: Discussion (Resumed) (2 Jul 2025)

Hildegarde Naughton: I visited the site. I met fantastic service providers and users at St. Mary of the Angels and was so impressed with the work at the site, in addition to that at St. Francis Special School. Elected politicians sometimes take different sides but it is great that we have a unified voice on this. It is important to state, however, that it is the board of St. Mary of the Angels that will...

Committee on Disability Matters: Progressing the Delivery of Disability Policy and Services: Discussion (Resumed) (2 Jul 2025)

Hildegarde Naughton: If I forget any of the questions, the Deputy should remind me of them. The Government recognised, having regard to the autism innovation strategy, that there is a need to review and update the existing disability legislation, or consider where a need for new legislation may exist. This is particularly true following our ratification of the UNCRPD. My priority is to ensure the policy...

Committee on Disability Matters: Progressing the Delivery of Disability Policy and Services: Discussion (Resumed) (2 Jul 2025)

Hildegarde Naughton: On the one-stop shops, AsIAm has proposed to establish a new model of support called a one-stop shop. This, as the Deputy stated, was successfully implemented in Scotland in 2005. One-stop shops provide a focal point in the community for autistic people and their families to access guidance and support. AsIAm has signed a lease at Swift's Alley for the one-stop shop east premises. That...

Committee on Disability Matters: Progressing the Delivery of Disability Policy and Services: Discussion (Resumed) (2 Jul 2025)

Hildegarde Naughton: AsIAm was funded. It got €204,500 from the HSE under a section 39 grant aid agreement in 2022. In 2023, it received €250,000 under a section 39 grant aid agreement with the HSE. In 2024, it received €542,974 from the HSE under a service arrangement. In 2025, it has received €642,974 in funding from the HSE. Discussions on that are ongoing. As these are rolled...

Committee on Disability Matters: Progressing the Delivery of Disability Policy and Services: Discussion (Resumed) (2 Jul 2025)

Hildegarde Naughton: There is, yes.

Committee on Disability Matters: Progressing the Delivery of Disability Policy and Services: Discussion (Resumed) (2 Jul 2025)

Hildegarde Naughton: The first issue the Deputy raised was around occupational therapists, speech and language therapists and CORU. These are some of the conversations we are having at meetings of the Cabinet subcommittee on disability. The Minister for Health, Deputy Carroll MacNeill, has met with CORU on speech and language therapists and occupational therapists because it all feeds into the assessments of...

Committee on Disability Matters: Progressing the Delivery of Disability Policy and Services: Discussion (Resumed) (2 Jul 2025)

Hildegarde Naughton: The Minister will be engaging in her own Estimates process for extra resourcing around this. The NCSE has been resourced but I absolutely take the Deputy's point. Have I answered all the Deputy's questions?

Committee on Disability Matters: Progressing the Delivery of Disability Policy and Services: Discussion (Resumed) (2 Jul 2025)

Hildegarde Naughton: Respite has grown steadily in recent years. I know we have issues across the country. There was a year-on-year increase of nearly 10,000 overnights and 20,000 day sessions in respite in 2024. Some 7,000 people were supported by over 65,000 day respite sessions and over 160,000 respite overnights. We still have a very large unmet need. Respite is in many cases interconnected with...

Committee on Disability Matters: Progressing the Delivery of Disability Policy and Services: Discussion (Resumed) (2 Jul 2025)

Hildegarde Naughton: I thank Senator Byrne. On the primary medical certificate, the position is that disabled drivers, including primary medical certificates, are a matter for the Department of Finance. It has carried out a review, which will be progressed under the national disability strategy. The Department of Transport will also look at this. Senator Byrne is absolutely correct. As we have all said...

Committee on Disability Matters: Progressing the Delivery of Disability Policy and Services: Discussion (Resumed) (2 Jul 2025)

Hildegarde Naughton: We have increased funding over the years but it is coming from a low base. We have €3.2 billion in the 2025 budget for disability but, as I said, we have so much more to do and so much more to fund. This is a top priority for the Government and we need to make sure we get it right. The only way we are going to get it right is to make sure we continue to engage with those disability...

Committee on Disability Matters: Progressing the Delivery of Disability Policy and Services: Discussion (Resumed) (2 Jul 2025)

Hildegarde Naughton: The DPOs and the disability groups are good and constructive advocates. They have helped me in my role and they have had huge engagement with the Department before I came into the role.

Committee on Disability Matters: Progressing the Delivery of Disability Policy and Services: Discussion (Resumed) (2 Jul 2025)

Hildegarde Naughton: As I travel around in this role, and in previous roles, I know there is a lot of frustration, for example, in families. I meet parents in particular who speak to me about getting access to services. I am acutely aware of that.

Committee on Disability Matters: Progressing the Delivery of Disability Policy and Services: Discussion (Resumed) (2 Jul 2025)

Hildegarde Naughton: Absolutely, yes.

Committee on Disability Matters: Progressing the Delivery of Disability Policy and Services: Discussion (Resumed) (2 Jul 2025)

Hildegarde Naughton: It is funny that Senator Clonan mentions Australia, as I met with the Australian minister and the minister from New Zealand at the United Nations conference on disability in New York. We had conversations about what was working well over there and what we can learn. I travelled to the UN with many DPOs. The representatives of the disability sector in Ireland who were part of the conference...