Pádraig O'Sullivan (Cork North Central, Fianna Fail) | Oireachtas source

I thank the Minister of State. It was probably unfair of me to throw in the CDNT issue on top, but I thought to myself that I did not ask, I would not get so I said I would try. It is great that the HSE is aware of the issues relating to access for children. The Minister of State indicated this is a new school established by the NCSE and the Department of Education but that was the case a year ago and saying so now is kind of stating the obvious. I would love to know what the HSE is doing now. The Minister of State went on to point out that it is carrying out a scoping exercise but, again, stating as much after a year has passed is too slow. These kids have profound intellectual disabilities. Some of them are fed by tube and require round-the-clock attention, and one year on from the opening of their school, we are still scoping. Somebody needs to shout about this. It is just more ineptitude.

I understand that most of these issues relate to employment and recruitment. I was given a report last night by the Minister stating that 36% of all the posts in my community healthcare organisation, CHO, are unfilled. I asked the question, which I reiterate now, as to what we are doing about it. We have been talking since 2017 about one in three or four HSE posts not being filled, and five years on, one in three or four HSE posts remain unfilled. When the HSE talks about the lack of capacity in respite services, it is specifically down to recruitment. We are consistently told in the House, week in, week out, that money is not an issue, and I believe the Minister for Health when he says money is not an issue. If it is about recruitment, what is going to be done? Are we going to sit on our hands and hope it falls right for the HSE eventually? It has been clearly shown that will not happen. The executive has to start thinking outside the box, and whether that means relaxing visa rules and going outside the EU, or going on roadshows across the globe to find the staff we need, somebody needs to grab the bull by the horns and get on with it.

The Minister of State mentioned the regional respite committee and its establishment. It seems to be in its infancy, but I would welcome any details about it he might be able to give. He stated that due to capacity issues, children are being given respite on a prioritised-needs basis. How many children in this school does that relate to and how many respite hours have been given specifically for those children?

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