Ms Áine Lawlor:

There has definitely been a bringing together of services in some areas in primary care. What we can hear and see that is significantly affecting this area is the impact of the pay and numbers strategy. That has impacted on recruitment, which in turns impacts on a team working together. You never quite get a team going because there is either no speech and language therapist or, where there is a speech and language therapist, the social worker is gone and it will take nine months to get a replacement or they may not be replaced at that point. It is very challenging to build those services and attract staff because why would people want to leave to go to a post where they do not have any colleagues, may not get them and are left covering all the areas?