Malcolm Noonan (Carlow-Kilkenny, Green Party) | Oireachtas source

I thank Deputy Crowe for raising this matter. I am taking it on behalf of the Minister for Health. The Minister recognises the central role that primary care therapy services, including dieticians, play in providing care and treatment to both children and adults in the community. He is also aware that the demand for a dietetic service in the CHO 7 area has grown over recent years, and that this increase in demand has been coupled with an increasing complexity of service-user needs.

Additionally, the recruitment of dieticians in this area has been an ongoing challenge due to the lack of availability of suitably qualified candidates, along with the current pause on recruitment in the HSE. For example, the HSE has advised that, at this time in CHO 7, the enhanced community care, ECC, chronic disease programme has 12 whole time equivalent, WTEs, in post which is 46% of the 26 WTE posts approved. At the community healthcare network and hub level, the dietetic community service has 15.73 WTEs in post, 47% of an approved 33.4 WTEs. Unfortunately, the number of vacant dietitian posts coupled with the increased complexity of service user needs in the community has resulted in the provision of dietetic services being restricted in many areas in CHO 7. These restrictions include a reduced home enteral nutrition, HEN, service or the absence of paediatric dietetic service.

The Minister acknowledges that the restrictions on the provision of dietetic services in CHO 7 and the increasing waiting lists for those waiting for a long time to access these services is a source of real concern for clients and their families. The Deputy highlighted this in the context of the case he outlined.

The HSE has advised that is working to address the challenges in the dietetics service in CHO 7, with the service prioritising referrals based on clinical need, staff availability and appropriate clinical governance to provide the best service possible. The HSE has further advised that there is a focus on increasing the numbers of service users seen across primary care therapy services, including dietetics, to drive improvements in waiting lists.

In 2023, waiting list action plan funding of €3.5 million was allocated to primary care therapy services which saw over 5,000 long-waiters removed from waiting lists nationwide. Ongoing initiatives include a validation of waiting lists to drive increased productivity and ensure effective management of therapists’ time and a focus on reducing the numbers of long waiters.

I also wish to advise the Deputy that the Minister for Health has, in recent weeks, approved the allocation of the 2024 new development posts relevant to the health budget and plans to recruit these 2,269 additional staff are in progress. This is welcome news. This will enable the HSE to set out its recruitment targets in each area for 2024 and will inform decisions at local level on the filling of available posts.

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