Children's disability team vacancies
Deputy Browne highlighted large numbers of vacancies in children's disability network teams and delays for families. The Taoiseach said the Minister of State was working with the HSE, but recruitment and service reconfiguration needed review and acceleration.
I want to start by congratulating those who were elected in the Assembly elections over the weekend, especially my Sinn Féin colleagues.
There are 524 vacancies across the 91 children's disability network teams, CDNTs, at the moment and that is out of 1,982 so-called approved positions. That means one third of positions in CDNTs across the country are vacant. It is more or less the equivalent rate for the CHO area which includes south Tipperary. At the same time, families of children who had preliminary team assessments are receiving letters about how the files were being reviewed and that they would be contacted in due course to let them know what will happen next. That is how the HSE put it, with absolutely no uncertainty. We also recently heard how the HSE refused meetings with the Minister of State, Deputy Anne Rabbitte, when she requested them.
Will the Taoiseach make a statement as to exactly how the HSE has been allowed to feel it can evade transparency when it comes to families of children with disabilities and the Minister of State? Will he also tell me if the HSE is to review the current number of approved positions in line with the increased level of demand as a result of the backlog that the HSE is responsible for?
Comment on this
I thank the Deputy for raising the issue. I know the Minister of State, Deputy Rabbitte, is working with the HSE on the reconfiguration of children's disability services. There are issues with how this is progressing and there is a need for a review of its impact on existing services and the need to accelerate recruitment to vacant positions. There are certainly issues on which we need to engage with the agency.