Norma Foley (Kerry, Fianna Fail)

When it comes to the CDNTs, I would be the first to say that a lot more work needs to be done in this regard. If we wish to look on the positive side, we have seen a nationwide increase of 26% in CDNT staffing levels since October 2023. The national vacancy rate has also reduced from 29% to 18%, but it needs to reduce a lot more.

With regard to AONs, I absolutely acknowledge there is an increasing demand for AONs every single day, which has led to a growing waiting list. However, progress has been made in the past year, with a noted improvement in the number of assessments completed in 2024, up 30% compared with 2023. The trend is continuing, with a 58% increase in completions in the first half of this year compared with the same period last year. When it comes to AONs, 58% were completed at the start of this year, which represents an increase compared with last year. That is not to say there is not an ongoing waiting list. The waiting list is quite significant.

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