Ms Áine Lawlor:

We can see on the ground and we hear from our members that since 2023 there has been a suppression of posts and a removal of posts. There is a reduction in front-line clinical staff working in primary care in particular but also in HSE CDNTs as well. We see that in those two areas in particular and where there is recruitment, the timelines are significant. What we hear from members is that there are posts that they either are not able to fill or that posts predating a certain timeframe are now gone from the system. That experience is mirrored across large swathes of the country among all health and social care professions. It is unclear exactly what posts are gone, what posts remain and what posts can or cannot be recruited. As managers or staff change, it becomes even less clear what is or is not there. There has certainly been a reduction in front-line clinical staff for speech therapy and for our colleagues across other health and social care professions.