Frank Feighan (Sligo-Leitrim, Fine Gael) | Oireachtas source

I am taking this question on behalf of the Minister of State, Deputy Rabbitte. The Government is committed to delivering real and tangible solutions to enhance services to better support the needs of children with special needs in Ireland.  The current delays in accessing therapy services, directly related to vacancies across the children’s disability network team, CDNT, network are acknowledged. Work is ongoing by the HSE to maximise the capacity of CDNTs via recruitment campaigns.

Funding has been provided for additional posts in recent years to enhance the capacity of the teams to ensure services can be provided. This funding provides for over 600 whole-time equivalent posts. The funding of these additional posts, including occupational therapists who can assist with issues relating to handwriting, is intended to increase capacity across teams and shorten waiting times. These additional posts are testament to this Government’s firm commitment to support the established CDNTs to prioritise interventions for children with complex needs.  However, the HSE is experiencing ongoing challenges recruiting staff across a range of disciplines to fully staff each team. The HSE continues to work to ensure timely access to children requiring occupational therapy services, and to reduce waiting times for these important services.

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