Pauline Tully (Cavan-Monaghan, Sinn Fein)
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5. To ask the Minister for Health his plans to ensure access to services for children with disabilities; his plans to fully staff children’s disability network teams and to fully establish family forums; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [16794/22]

Pauline Tully (Cavan-Monaghan, Sinn Fein)
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Will the Minister outline his plans to ensure access to services for children with disabilities, in addition to his plans to fully staff children's disability network teams and establish the family forums associated with those teams?

Frank Feighan (Sligo-Leitrim, Fine Gael)
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The Government is committed to the development of children's disability services through the implementation of the progressing disability services programme. The High Court judgment on standard operating procedures for assessment of need, AON, is being examined by the HSE, which is engaging at all levels to address the judgment while ensuring the availability of therapy supports. AON reports will no longer be issued on the basis of a preliminary team assessment. Where appointments have already been scheduled with children, these will form the first steps in their AON process.

All 91 children's disability network teams, CDNTs, were established by the end of 2021 to provide services for children with complex needs within a defined geographic area. Since 2019, 475 development posts have been allocated to children's disability services throughout the country assigned based on factors including the existing ratio of staff to children with disabilities in each area. A staffing census of CDNTs has been undertaken and is being verified. It is envisaged that this information will become available in early April.

There are recruitment and retention challenges regarding the filling of posts due to the availability of opportunities across the wider HSE and the private sector. Work continues on establishing family forums, with the HSE advising that approximately 40 forums have either been established or are in train.

Pauline Tully (Cavan-Monaghan, Sinn Fein)
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I was contacted yesterday by a parent who said that numerous parents had contacted her to say their AON appointments had been cancelled due to the High Court ruling. They are being told by CDNT staff that they are not reverting to the previous AON model covered by the Disability Act 2005. Staff have also told these parents that they have received no guidance from the HSE on how to proceed with assessments. All assessments have ceased, no guidance has been issued and children have been moved to a new waiting list until further guidance is given. That needs to be addressed immediately because we cannot have another delay in assessments being carried out.

A long-term plan and a short-term plan are needed regarding staff. A short-term plan is needed because there are children who are waiting for, and need, interventions immediately. We need to look at the critical skills lists and how to entice clinicians and therapists back, but the main problem is to do with the HSE panel.

Frank Feighan (Sligo-Leitrim, Fine Gael)
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I appreciate the Deputy's concerns and I will bring them to the Minister of State, Deputy Rabbitte. I understand that she is working with the HSE to try to get this moving as quickly as possible.

Pauline Tully (Cavan-Monaghan, Sinn Fein)
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As I said, the biggest problem is with HSE recruitment practices. They are cumbersome and archaic. Just before I came to the Chamber, this issue was discussed at a private meeting of the Joint Committee on Disability Matters. Several of its members said they know highly qualified people who were not refused and were put on panels. They were placed third, fourth or fifth on a panel a year ago and still have not been offered a position. That is something the HSE needs to address immediately. We have highly qualified people who could be induced into the services.

We also need to look at the number of third level places that are being offered to study these various therapies. By increasing the number of third level places we can reduce the points required to get into these courses. Many people are interested in them but they cannot get the points, which are very high because the places are so few. We need to talk to and entice all these young people to take on these courses by ensuring they have jobs guaranteed at the end of them for a certain period.

Frank Feighan (Sligo-Leitrim, Fine Gael)
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I understand there are recruitment and retention challenges regarding the filling of posts. The Minister and the Minister of State, Deputy Rabbitte, are working with the Higher Education Authority and the Minister for Further and Higher Education, Research, Innovation and Science, Deputy Harris, to try to resolve these issues. There are issues regarding office supports and I understand all the various Departments and stakeholders are working to resolve that.