Children's therapies delays
Deputy Smith said the assessment-of-need system is failing children in Cavan and Monaghan and asked about therapy delays. The Taoiseach agreed the issue is serious, blamed chronic staffing shortages, and said recruitment is under way.
The assessment of need system has not been working. That system has not served children with additional needs or their families. I sincerely hope that the new autism assessment system works. Much faster access to assessment is essential, and follow-up therapies if needed. Time and again I have highlighted in this Chamber, through parliamentary questions and written representations, the unacceptable delays in children with additional needs in Cavan and Monaghan accessing therapies. Parents waiting for therapies for their children are justifiably angry and frustrated at the lack of timely supports and interventions. Enable Ireland provides the children's disability network team in County Cavan. Historically, there have been staff shortages there, impacting severely on children who need supports. Parents on limited incomes are paying for private provision, another source of pressure on them. Staff shortages in therapists across Cavan and Monaghan need to be prioritised by the HSE for urgent attention. Those families cannot continue to wait and wait.
Comment on this
I thank the Deputy for raising this important issue. I know he has been advocating strongly on behalf of children and families in Cavan-Monaghan. Those counties have been facing some of the longest waits in the country for children's therapies. The root cause of that has been a chronic staffing deficit. At the Deputy's instigation, the Minister, Deputy Foley, visited the region recently and acknowledged directly that the system was not serving children and families as it should. However, there is a national recruitment campaign. Since 2020, about 40 therapists have been recruited in Cavan and Monaghan, bringing the total to 117. The national children's disability network team, CDNT, recruitment campaign attracted over 500 applications. Appointments are actively being progressed and staffing has increased by 28% nationally. That is about 448 additional whole-time equivalents. Waiting lists are coming down. The Minister is also changing the modus operandi in terms of how things will be done.