Pearse Doherty (Donegal, Sinn Fein)
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464. To ask the Minister for Children, Equality, Disability, Integration and Youth the options that are available for disabled people who cannot afford adaptions and are slightly over the means test threshold and therefore are not entitled to have it paid for; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [52999/23]

Anne Rabbitte (Galway East, Fianna Fail)
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This is a matter for my Cabinet colleague, the Minister for Housing, Local Government and Heritage.

Pauline Tully (Cavan-Monaghan, Sinn Fein)
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465. To ask the Minister for Children, Equality, Disability, Integration and Youth further to Parliamentary Question No. 35 of 7 November 2023, if the derogation from the HSE recruitment freeze for organisations delivering disability services extends to the recruitment of administrative staff. [53015/23]

Anne Rabbitte (Galway East, Fianna Fail)
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The successful recruitment and retention of staff across the Disability Services sector is integral to this sectors' continued growth and remains a key priority for me.

Beginning in May 2023, the HSE implemented a recruitment pause for a number of grades across the HSE and Section 38 service providers, to ensure that it can sustainably provide services within its existing resources. The core focus of the pause is to protect controlled growth and ensure the HSE has an adequate financial control environment. My Department has engaged consistently with the HSE to ensure the pause does not unduly affect the provision of existing Disability Services or strategic initiatives to support targeted expansion across key services.

The HSE have agreed to a derogation for Disability Services whereby essential staff across a number of grades can be replaced on a “one for one” basis. The derogation applies to Disability Services funded replacement posts and new development posts in the HSE and Section 38 agencies, in regard to the following staff categories: Medical/Dental, Nursing, HSCP, Support Staff Grades, Other Patient and Client Care. A process for application of the derogation has been prescribed by the HSE and communicated to relevant stakeholders.

Under the terms of the HSE recruitment pause, I understand that there is also a process whereby organisations may make a risk representation in respect of vacant Management or Administration posts. In these cases, a business case can be submitted to the relevant National Director for consideration.