Dáil Éireann Debate, Wednesday - 20 September 2023
833. Deputy Pearse Doherty asked the Minister for Children, Equality, Disability, Integration and Youth his plans to address the unacceptable level of vacancies for key positions in the Children's Disability Network Teams in Donegal; and if he is aware of the serious impact this is having on the children affected and their families. [39980/23]
View answerI am conscious of the fact that the HSE and Lead Agencies are operating in a very competitive global market for healthcare talent, in Donegal as well as in other parts of the country. I am acutely aware of the impact the vacancies have on the CDNTs and, most importantly, the impact that is felt by families through the lack of services provide.
These challenges are acknowledged and work is underway by the HSE to increase access to services, with a range of measures being actively pursued across the country to enhance recruitment, support retention and build CDNT capacity.
For further details on the specific measures being pursued in the Donegal area, I have asked the Health Service Executive (HSE) to respond to the Deputy directly, as soon as possible.
