Roderic O'Gorman (Dublin West, Green Party) | Oireachtas source

I take the Deputy's point on getting the therapists who will graduate in years to come where they are most needed. I look at what Tusla did in terms of social workers. Every social worker who graduates from an Irish university gets an offer of employment from Tusla. That is extremely attractive and has been very good in bringing not all social workers, but a significant number to do work and training with Tusla directly. I will continue to engage with Bernard Gloster.

I spoke in response to an earlier question about specific measures to encourage new health and social care graduates into CDNTs and CAMHS. We need to strengthen that. I am sure primary care and older people services are looking for these graduates as well but we have to take a strategic decision that children's disability services and, most people would agree, CAMHS are the least staffed areas across the HSE and are where the HSE should be targeting all new graduates to bring them in and let them do their training. That will reduce pressures on lists and make staying there more attractive.

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