I raise the staffing crisis at Cavan children's disability network team, CDNT. On 22 November, it wrote to parents to express the real challenge and difficulty the acting manager, Faye Reid, is faced with in delivering a service to almost 650 children who are on our waiting lists. I will read a snippet of the letter. It states:

Cavan children's disability network team is currently undergoing a significant staffing crisis, which is impacting on the team's capacity to provide services to children and families. There are currently approximately 650 children and young people known to the Cavan CDNT, with around 22 therapy posts to meet this need. Of the 22 therapy posts available, there are approximately 12 posts currently vacant on the team. This is obviously having a huge impact on staff capacity to provide intervention and complete assessments. Current waiting times to access the team can be up to two years.

I raised this last week with the Minister of State, Deputy Rabbitte. She kindly said she would meet the community healthcare organisation, CHO, management to address this. I ask the Taoiseach to put every resource behind this. We cannot have these kids waiting two years for any intervention.

I thank the Deputy for raising this issue. It is not one of resources. Funding has been provided through the Department of Health to the HSE to provide for the recruitment of therapists, particularly in disability network teams. The HSE says it is having particular difficulties recruiting therapists for child disability services. We are not happy with the situation. We have had a series of meetings involving the Departments of Education and Health on this issue of the availability and access to therapists within CDNTs. It is a big issue that the HSE needs to resolve.