Teenager to start 50-hour protest at Dáil as child disability assessment waiting lists soar
A teenage campaigner has urged the Government to “stop breaking the law”, as the waiting list for assessments of need is projected to soar to almost 25,000 by the end of the year. An assessment of need (AON) is carried out to identify if a child or young person has a disability, and is designed to identify their health needs as well as service requirements. Once the HSE receives an application, there is a legal requirement for the AON to be completed within six months. The total number of applications overdue for completion at the end of March stood at 15,296 – an 8pc rise on the end of last year. Last week, the Irish Independent revealed that just 7pc of assessments are being carried out within the legally required timeframe of six months. Credit to : Irish Independent