Alan Farrell (Dublin Fingal, Fine Gael)
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622. To ask the Minister for Health if his attention has been drawn to the fact that there is a recruitment issue within the HSE for speech and language therapists, occupational therapists and clinical psychologists; if his Department is working on an initiative to improve access to these courses; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [5918/22]

Stephen Donnelly (Wicklow, Fianna Fail)
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In Budget 2022, the Minister secured annual investment of €195 million to enable the continued delivery of the Enhanced Community Care Programme. This level of investment in primary care development and reform is unprecedented and supports a significant reorientation of the healthcare system to deliver the right care in the right place at the right time.

The expansion of primary care capacity is key to delivering the Enhanced Community Care Programme, with approximately 1,500 additional health and social care professionals to be recruited, including Speech and Language Therapists and Occupational Therapists, out of a total of 3,500 new staff.

The cumulative impact of Covid-19coupled with the impact of the cyber-attack had a substantial impact on the HSE’s ability to meet original recruitment targets for 2021. However significant improvements in recruitment have been achieved in the latter part of 2021 and, by year end, approximately 640 health and social care professionals were onboarded or in advanced recruitment.

The HSE is seeking to address any recruitment challenges by accelerating the domestic recruitment campaigns, by providing dedicated services and HR supports to Community Healthcare Organisations (CHOs), increasing international recruitment opportunities and developing a health and social care professionals career pathway for specialists and advanced practitioners.

Further recruitment campaigns are underway under the Enhanced Community Care Programme, and progress is being monitored on an ongoing basis.

Regarding improving access to courses the HSE National Health and Social Care Professionals Office produced the Report on Health and Social Care Professions Practice Education During and Post Covid-19 in 2021 which describes the long-standing and Covid-19 related issues and potential solutions with regard to securing sufficient practice placements for health and social care professionals including speech and language therapists and occupational therapists.

Another separate report was completed by the HSE in 2021 with regard practice education for clinical psychologists. The National Health and Social Care Professionals Office is actively engaged with key stakeholders to address capacity issues for practice education for Health and Social Care Professionals.

Alan Farrell (Dublin Fingal, Fine Gael)
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623. To ask the Minister for Health the breakdown of the 12 roles unfulfilled within the children’s disability network team in Balbriggan, County Dublin; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [5919/22]

Alan Farrell (Dublin Fingal, Fine Gael)
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625. To ask the Minister for Health if the children’s disability network teams in Swords and Balbriggan, County Dublin have a process to identify duplicate referrals; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [5921/22]

Alan Farrell (Dublin Fingal, Fine Gael)
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626. To ask the Minister for Health the way the children’s disability network teams in Swords and Balbriggan, County Dublin combat the rate of did-not-attends to appointments; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [5922/22]

Anne Rabbitte (Galway East, Fianna Fail)
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I propose to take Questions Nos. 623, 625 and 626 together.

As these are service matters, I have asked the Health Service Executive to respond to the deputy directly, as soon as possible.

Alan Farrell (Dublin Fingal, Fine Gael)
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624. To ask the Minister for Health the breakdown of the 13 roles unfulfilled within the children’s disability network team in Swords, County Dublin; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [5920/22]

Anne Rabbitte (Galway East, Fianna Fail)
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As the Deputy's question relates to a service issue, the matter has been referred to the HSE for direct reply.