Government pledges to refund parents cost of private assessments for children

Disabilities Minister Anne Rabbitte received applause from the opposition after she committed to reimburse the cost of private consultations.

The Government has promised to refund parents who are forced to seek private assessments for their children if waiting lists are not tackled by the start of August.

In a rare occurrence in the Dáil, Disabilities Minister Anne Rabbitte received applause from the opposition after she committed to reimburse the cost of private consultations.

"For once and for all, we must put the parent and child first and that is what I will do," she said.

Ms Rabbitte said that the HSE has now been directed to set up a minimum of six regional assessment units for children, which will involve a combination of public-private.

She said this will ensure there is the correct delivery of assessment for thousands of children currently on waiting lists, and will also allow young people to be placed with the proper teams, and give the teams that are already in place the scope to build up the capacity to make a direct intervention.

"I will say today on the floor of the Dáil that if it is not done by August 1, I will take the Labour Party's proposal that we fund families to budget. I am giving the time to the HSE to act on the request and I am supported by the senior minister in that," Ms Rabbitte said.

She was responding to a Labour motion, which called for financial relief for parents and caregivers forced to pay for local, private assessments and therapies.

Waiting list

Moving the motion, Labour TD Duncan Smith pointed out that as of March, 10,696 children have been waiting for more than 12 months for initial contact with a Children's Disability Network Team (CDNT), an increase of 836 since December.

Taoiseach Leo Varadkar later confirmed that the Government has already started examining how private practitioners could be reimbursed.

Under questioning from Labour leader Ivana Bacik, who described Ms Rabbitte's intervention as "really important, timely, unexpected, but very welcome", Mr Varadkar said he has "no ideological objection whatsoever" to paying private practitioners.

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However, he said it would have to be done right and the level of capacity that exists in the private sector would have to be examined first.

"We also need to know what the legal basis for doing so would be. I know we cannot use the NTPF without a change to primary legislation, but changes to primary legislation are possible. We also need to consider unintended consequences. That is always a risk when we bring the private sector into providing a public service," Mr Varadkar told the Dáil.

Sinn Féin leader Mary Lou McDonald accused the State of failing thousands of children who under the Disability Act 2005 have a right to an assessment within three months of seeking.