Mr. Bernard O'Regan:

I will comment on recruitment and the observation on the cumbersome nature of the HSE panel system. We previously acknowledged that at a committee meeting. In respect of the CDNTs, some of the staff are provided by agencies other than the HSE and they are also experiencing difficulties. Some are section 39s, and the pay differential is a major challenge for them. Some are section 38s and they have the same terms and conditions as HSE staff, but they are experiencing some difficulties in recruitment as well. They are smaller and perhaps they have more agility than the HSE might have. It is just reflecting some of the reality of the pool of people that we are drawing from, notwithstanding the fact that we do need to be as innovative and imaginative as possible and to explore every possibility in terms of recruitment, including the points Deputy Tully mentioned such as the use of assistant therapy posts. That is something that we are working on at the moment and it will be included in the action plan. We have already given some clarification to the CHOs that they can use assistant grades wherever possible, on the basis that it is an agreed and useful way, first, to bring people into the teams and, second, to invest in people who might stay for the long term and address some of the retention issues. In the immediate term, we are also able to meet some of the service needs that exist.

In terms of what was said about joined-up thinking and resourcing allocations, this year when we were allocating the funding that was provided in the national service plan for CDNTs, we apportioned it on the basis of where the greatest gaps were. That is something we will continue to do in the coming years so that we can try to raise all the boats, in order that we have an equitable level of service across all CDNTs, and they will continue to grow beyond that.

There is work, on which the Minister of State and the departmental officials might want to comment, on the completion of the disability action plan on the back of the capacity review report.

That sets out the level of investment that we believe is needed over the coming years.

The other thing that goes to some of the point the Deputy was making is that this includes cross-departmental funding commitments that are needed to try to address some of that joined-up thinking gap.