I thank the Minister of State for her visit to the CRC in Dublin Bay North. It was great to see her and long may her visits to north Dublin continue. This topic was one of the first things I spoke about in this House as well. When we were in discussions on government formation as regional Independents, it was big part of our negotiations. We made a clear commitment in the programme for Government that every child in this State deserved timely assessment, timely intervention and the right support to thrive. The Minister of State is just into her new remit. I congratulate her and wish her the best of luck. One of my predecessors sat there and was in the same Department. Now that she is in her role and given that assessment of need is in the HSE's remit, I hope she lets it know what she wants it to do. She should tell it what everyone in this Chamber wants it to do. The lack of accountability is not acceptable. Thousands of families are still fighting across the island, including in my constituency, for their children's legal entitlement under the Disability Act. Parents should not have to become full-time advocates just to secure the basics. Therapists should not be left trying to deliver services in the system. I want to acknowledge and thank FUSS Ireland who came to the cross-party committee focused on autism. There are Members in the House who were on that committee. The honesty and strength of the FUSS Ireland representatives in that meeting was very informative, and it was solution focused. That is what I always strive to be in this House. I do not want to just give out. In my last two minutes, I want to show the Minister of State some of the solutions that I hope she will grab the HSE with and tell it what she wants it to do - not ongoing evaluations, not measurements, but what is working and what is not. One thing I want to talk about is the guarantee of assessment. The assessment of need cannot remain a door that opens to nothing. I have heard multiple Members say this. Assessments and interventions must be funded and delivered together, not years apart. We must establish a national and research function; a team with the responsibility for caseload data, waiting list transparency and independent evaluation so that decisions are driven by evidence. Create the family navigator role, which I am cautiously optimistic for due to the Government's announcement today, and peer-led paid supports so that families are not lost in the system. Some kids have parents who can do this, but some do not. We need one clear way. Embed accountability by defining the senior responsibility framework. Do not let people away with not being held accountable. As Deputy O'Toole said, we must listen to children not as a token gesture, but as primary right holders whose voices force and inform policy and design. The early years sector is already doing this. The people there are qualified to do so. I spoke to Ms Elaine Dunne from the Federation of Early Childhood Providers. They are not being paid but they are willing. We are going to lose a workforce.

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