Anne Rabbitte (Galway East, Fianna Fail) | Oireachtas source

It is important for me to recognise the staffing deficits in Cavan and Monaghan. Not only do I recognise it but so does the HSE. Hence, when the children's disability service grant is launched, I hope the Deputy will see an uplift in support for the families and the children. The recruitment is taking place as we speak. When I met the leads and the heads of the HSE only last Tuesday I asked when I should expect that staff would be in place. Staff should be in place mid-April, or the start of May at the latest. That is why I am anxious to meet Enable Ireland to ensure I get exactly the same answers. Some 500 staff applications is a sizeable segment when one considers that the campaign was run only over a four-week period.

I have also set up an interdepartmental, interstate, high-level ministerial group, which I chair myself, to see how we can continue the workforce planning and to ensure that we can meet not just clinicians but the wider workforce that is required to enable our CDNTs to function.

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