I want to raise the issue of the crisis in the PDS programme. On Tuesday, I received the staff census and workforce review for 2022 of the 91 children's disability network teams, and it makes for dismal reading. There is a vacancy rate nationally of 34% across the CHOs. It ranges from 19% to a high of 43%, but some teams have vacancy rates in the 50s and 60s, with one team on 68%.

In my home county, Cavan, it is 41% and in Monaghan it is 47%. The progressing disability services for children and young people programme is not working. It is failing children and families and I do not see any clear plan from the HSE to address this. It has not even sat down to meet representative bodies of the different therapists, including occupational therapists and physiotherapists, to see what is the best way forward. The HSE has never met with them or taken on their recommendations. This needs to be treated as a crisis. Children are being failed. The Joint Committee on Autism is being hosted in the Seanad today. Families are coming to share their experience and it is absolutely heartbreaking. Something needs to be done.

I discussed this earlier with Deputy Fitzmaurice and I thank Deputy Tully for raising it again. I think the progressing disability services for children and young people programme was initiated around 2013. I had issues with it at the time. I believe multidisciplinary teams in special schools are the optimal way to help children, but that does not cover all children. That is the point the HSE would make, that it is trying to provide a service for all children. That said, it has moved policy-wise from the Department of Health to the Department of Children, Equality, Disability, Integration and Youth and we are putting a particular focus on this area. Recruitment and retention has been very problematic in the children's area, as I said earlier. Other parts of the health service seem to be recruiting therapists much more easily than is the case in children's services. That is something that has to be changed.