There is a serious problem with disability services in Laois-Offaly. I refer to the children’s disability network teams, CDNTs. In one area, for example, which serves Edenderry and Mountmellick, one of the teams has seven full-time vacancies. Another team has four vacancies at Riverside in Tullamore, while the highest level of full-time vacancies is in the Spraoi Centre in Portlaoise. I gather these are vacancies that have existed for some time. Children are being failed and they are not getting access to vital therapies, such as speech and language therapy and occupational therapy. I ask the Taoiseach if he could please intervene urgently in this matter. I recognise that the Minister of State, Deputy Rabbitte, is doing everything in her power, but the HSE is not collaborating. That seems to be a big issue. I appeal to the Taoiseach please to intervene as quickly as possible because children are being failed. I ask the Taoiseach please to take action to ensure we get to the bottom of this.

I will engage with the Minister of State and the HSE in respect of this. An additional €65 million was provided in 2022 for disability services, so we must now get delivery on that. Recruitment continues to be a challenge across the service, in particular in respect of therapists. This is an issue we must work with the HSE to examine further and to get speedier recruitment processes and people into posts.