In the first instance, I accept that the situation is not at all acceptable in respect of disability services for children, and in particular in respect of access to therapies. The HSE has argued that it finds it very difficult to recruit and retain staff. There are fundamental issues in terms of the human resource management of therapists, particularly in respect of paediatric services.

The Government decided at the outset to transfer disability services, particularly for children, from the Department of Health to the Department of Children, Equality, Disability, Integration and Youth. The Minister of State, Deputy Rabbitte, has done very significant work in the intervening period in respect of the transfer and in dealing in an immediate sense with assessments, as she did in her first year in office, to accelerate assessments for many children in this respect.

Second, the work-out of the progressing disability programme, which was developed by the HSE in 2013, really only began to move between 2018 and 2019. This has resulted in a significant dilution of services in respect of special schools, in particular. In meetings late last year with the HSE, the Government decided that therapists would be assigned to special schools again to create access to the requisite therapists for children with severe and profound needs, in particular. That work is continuing. In my view, there has to be an engagement between education and health in respect of therapists. We need multidisciplinary teams in our special schools so that the needs of the children in that context are addressed, at least. More broadly, some CDNTs are working now. Clearly, as the Deputy has outlined, there are difficulties in CHO 8 and in other areas. I am well aware of them.

There is a particular issue in respect of recruiting into children's services as opposed to other services. Therapists are being recruited to areas like stroke services or other parts of the health service but it has been particularly challenging and difficult to recruit into services for children with disabilities and special needs. That is something which I know the Minister of State and the Government remain possessed of. We are very focused on endeavouring to deal with this, both on an interim basis and on a more long-term basis.

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