Written answers

Thursday, 24 October 2024

Department of Children, Equality, Disability, Integration and Youth

Disability Services

Photo of Pearse DohertyPearse Doherty (Donegal, Sinn Fein)
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39. To ask the Minister for Children, Equality, Disability, Integration and Youth the role his Department has played in the crisis within Children’s Disability Network Teams in Donegal, where a significant number of vacancies continue to exist; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [43566/24]

Photo of Anne RabbitteAnne Rabbitte (Galway East, Fianna Fail)
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The Government is committed to delivering real and tangible solutions to enhance services to better support the needs of children with special needs in Ireland.

Whilst the HSE and their agencies have responsibility for the provision of children’s disability services across the country, my Department continues to provide increased funding to the HSE to help improve service levels, address unmet needs and reduce waitlists. A total of €3.2 billion has been allocated for Disability Services in Budget 2025, an increase of €336m (11.6%) on 2024 and represents an overall increase since 2020 of €1.2bn.

This increase will support the roll out of the PDS Roadmap through the provision of key roles and trainee placements for CDNTs across the country, including in Donegal. Under Budget 2025 new posts have been funded for the CDNTs - 20 senior grade and 20 staff grade therapists / nursing WTE & 20 therapy assistants. 15 clinical psychologist trainee placements have also been funded.

Work by the HSE to maximise the capacity of CDNTs continues via a variety of recruitment campaigns and initiatives, including early capture of new graduates. The HSE is optimising multiple applicant engagement opportunities to encourage uptake of CDNT vacancies including recruitment fairs, outreach to third level colleges and secondary schools.

The increased funding in Budget will also facilitate the continuation of the Assessment of Need Waitlist Initiative to enable the procurement of private assessments for long waiting families, with €10m funding in 2025 to deliver circa 2,850 Assessments of Need and allow for additional capacity in the assessment teams in the form of assessment and liaison officers.

Both the Government and the HSE remain committed to the delivery of appropriate services for children with disabilities and will work with families and staff in Donegal and throughout the country to develop services that meet their needs.

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