Gary Gannon (Dublin Central, Social Democrats)
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1735.To ask the Minister for Children, Equality, Disability, Integration and Youth for an update on the Government's plans to transfer therapists from HSE settings to special schools, given the evidence that having therapists placed directly in schools rather than in outside settings run by the HSE has many benefits, including immediate access to services, early intervention, and crisis management for students with special needs. [30966/24]

Anne Rabbitte (Galway East, Fianna Fail)
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I am fully committed to the continued development and enhancement of our children’s disability services, through the implementation of the Progressing Disability Services (PDS) Roadmap for Service Improvement 2023-2026, which seeks to ensure equitable access to services for all children with complex needs. This includes school based therapy supports for the special schools in Cork and across the country.

I fully acknowledge the concerns of families of children with complex needs attending special schools and the urgent need for therapy provision. In 2021, the restoration of pre-existing on-site health and social care supports for children in special schools was identified as a Government priority.

The HSE have advised that funding was provided to recruit an additional 85 Whole Time Equivalent (WTE) Health and Social Care Professionals (HSCP) to provide in reach therapy to special schools in areas yet to set up their Children’s Disability Network Teams (CDNT). Following a retrospective mapping exercise in August 2022 of all therapy resources that were onsite in special schools pre reconfiguration, where a total of 223 posts were identified, the Government allocated the balance of 136.3 HSCP WTE posts to the HSE. It was agreed that the special school-based services must be aligned with the existing CDNTs.

I acknowledge that the pace of progress has been slow, but it is relevant to note that the HSE and its Lead Agencies are operating in a competitive market for healthcare talent, with significant shortages of qualified healthcare professionals globally.

I can assure you that the HSE continues to explore a range of options to enhance the recruitment and retention of staff. A targeted national recruitment campaign has been undertaken to recruit to CDNT vacancies across the country. Lead agencies in this area are currently finalising the appointment of staff recruited through this campaign.

I want to reiterate that the Government is keenly aware of the challenging situation in special schools arising from the issues surrounding the restoration of pre-existing on-site health and social care supports.

I wish to assure the House that I am engaging with Government colleagues, my Department, the Department of Education, the HSE and the NCSE on this issue on an on-going basis and I can assure you that finding a solution remains a top Government priority.