Oireachtas Joint and Select Committees

Thursday, 26 May 2022

Public Accounts Committee

2020 Report of the Comptroller and Auditor General and Appropriation Accounts
Vote 38 - Health (Resumed)
Health Service Executive: Financial Statements 2020

9:30 am

Ms Anne O'Connor:

I do not know the area but there are variations around areas, as the Deputy noted, depending on capacity. We know the availability of speech and language therapy and psychology is a huge issue in some areas, particularly for children with autism diagnosis. You might go to a service where they have a physio, but that potentially will not be as significant for someone with autism. We are looking at that in terms of how we can recruit. We are challenged in recruiting in some of those disciplines. It is also part of the work we are doing to try to level the playing field a bit. There is no doubt we have a challenge in bringing health and social care professionals in for disability sector. The reality is the disability sector is a hard place in which to work. When we try to recruit young staff, they do not always want to go there. They will want to go to primary care, hospitals or whatever. Our recruitment for disabilities is tied up in the broader recruitment challenges we experience.

Comments

No comments

Log in or join to post a public comment.