Mary Butler (Waterford, Fianna Fail) | Oireachtas source

I will take this question on behalf of the Minister of State, Deputy Rabbitte, who sends her apologies to the Deputy.

The HSE acknowledges that the Cavan and Monaghan children’s disability network teams are currently operating their services with reduced staff numbers due to recruitment issues being experienced locally and nationally. The HSE advises that it is currently in the process of recruiting for vacant posts in the areas of speech and language therapy, occupational therapy, physiotherapy, psychology and social work. It is acknowledged that there are significant challenges in the recruitment of staff due to the availability of options for candidates across the health and social care sector. Senior management in CHO 1 are currently examining a range of options to attract staff.

At present, there are a number of initiatives currently supporting efforts to provide timely therapeutic interventions in the area. There is a joint children’s disabilities and primary care autism spectrum disorder, ASD, diagnostic wait list initiative. This joint initiative has been allocated funding to complete 130 private provider ASD assessments for those waiting longest in Cavan and Monaghan.

The Deputy will be aware that the Cavan children’s disability network team is based in the Hillside facility at Rathcorrick, County Cavan. The lead agency for the team is Enable Ireland. The team has a whole-time equivalent staffing allocation of 24.2 posts, but at this time there are only 15.3 posts in place, with 8.9 vacancies - one can say there are nine vacancies. Having looked at the figures, I note that there were five resignations and there are two people on maternity leave at the moment. This is having a huge impact on these services. The service is currently in the process of recruiting to the vacant positions but it is proving difficult to backfill these positions with minimal interest, if any, in any of the positions advertised.

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