Mr. Bernard O'Regan:

I should have mentioned a point that has come up previously in this and other committees. One of the challenges in the staffing of the children's disability network teams is that the staff are employed by different organisations and their terms and conditions vary depending on the type of organisation involved. A significant proportion of staff work in what we refer to as section 39 organisations. They are paid at lower rates than their colleagues who are employed by either the HSE or in a section 38 agency. That does not help. It has not meant that large numbers of staff have migrated from section 39 organisations to vacancies in section 38 organisations or the HSE because there are things that section 39 organisations have as part of their culture that also offer some appeal. In an environment where the cost of living is increasing, it becomes harder for people to be able to maintain that. Issues such as equal pay for equal work are a factor in terms of recruitment and retention as well.