Question from Deputy Ken O'Flynn - PQ 21440-26

To ask the Minister for Children; Disability and Equality the statutory and organisational purpose of Horizons as a Children’s Disability Network Team; whether Horizons currently has the staffing and funding necessary to fully meet the needs of children referred to the service; the number of children awaiting assessment and intervention, broken down by type of support (including speech and language therapy, occupational therapy, physiotherapy, psychology, and AAC devices); the average and maximum waiting times for children to access each type of support; the sanctioned staffing levels for Horizons compared to the number of posts currently filled; her views on whether the current resource levels are sufficient to allow Horizons to fulfil its statutory and organisational obligations; the additional measures, including funding and staffing, are being taken to eliminate delays; and in light of a response received by this Deputy’s office on 13 March 2026, in which a network manager stated that service delivery is constrained by staffing and funding shortages, whether the Minister will confirm the steps being taken to ensure that no child is prevented from accessing essential disability supports due to insufficient resources.