I raise the issues of what approach is being made to secure staff for the children's disability network teams, CDNTs, in south Tipperary, and what is the availability of private providers to fill the gaps that are being left because of lack of services, especially regarding provision for children who have been assessed. On the first issue, I have been told that staff in the CDNTs in Clonmel are leaving at an alarming rate and are not being replaced or not being replaced at a regular pace. This is having a massive impact on families who are waiting for assessments. What does the Minister of State believe would be an effective recruitment process, one which would will keep people in these roles and ensure they are not in turnover so often?

I understand that disability services nationally are working with HSE procurement to develop a tender process for service specification and delivery of assessment. What is the Minister of State doing to improve that? We raise this matter over and over again. How can we get people into the service and keep them in the service?

We are way over time. I ask the Taoiseach to respond.

I thought those questions were for one of the Ministers.

The Minister of State is here.

This falls under the remit of the Minister of State, Deputy Rabbitte, but I will certainly pass on what the Deputy has raised with regard to CDNTs. I reiterate what the Minister of State said on the floor of the Dáil yesterday. The recruitment moratorium does not affect disability services. The Minister of State sees an opportunity now, working with the HSE, to try to recruit as many people as possible into CDNTs. The Minister of State is funded for over 500 staff that are currently outstanding. Every effort is being made to recruit into the service. I will ask the Minister of State to respond to the Deputy in writing.