As I stated to Deputy Ó Murchú, the CDNTs workforce survey was conducted last October. That captured staffing levels across various disciplines and grades, providing a snapshot of the current workforce across the 93 teams. The 2024 CDNT workforce report is based on the outputs of the survey. The published report shows that all six regional health areas were carrying vacancies at mid-October. There is a wide disparity in vacancy levels across the country, with the highest levels in Dublin and the south-east region and the lowest levels in the mid-west region. Separately, the HSE has advised me that the majority of CDNTs are currently carrying vacancies, with four teams having no vacancies at present. The HSE is using the data from that report to support focused recruitment and retention initiatives in the areas with the highest vacancy rates, taking learning and related actions from areas with lower levels of vacancies. While the vacancy rate remains high, the CDNT workforce increased by 17% in 2024 when compared with 2023 and the CDNT vacancy rate reduced from 29% to 22%. As the Deputy knows, in budget 2025, my Department secured €2.84 million in new development measure funding to provide an additional 40 health and social care professionals, comprising 20 senior and 20 staff grade therapists, 20 therapy assistants and 15 clinical psychology trainee placements. A dedicated disability workforce strategy will be developed this year to meet growing service demands and address recruitment and retention challenges. Also, under the disability action plan, we have the progressing disability services roadmap, and that sets out measures designed to attract and retain staff in CDNTs. I can outline those later.
Sentiment score: 0.15
I agree that far more needs to be done as regards retention and recruitment within the CDNTs. That is an absolute priority for my Department. We have under the disability action plan and the progressing disability services roadmap set out measures. I will outline a few briefly. We are supporting practice education in CDNTs. We are supporting student sponsorship programmes. There is an initiative whereby four years' salary is now paid to new graduates over five years to support them in taking a gap year in year 5. We are also developing apprenticeship programmes. The HSE is driving a number of initiatives to address the CDNT vacancy rate. That includes intensive recruitment efforts across the HSE and section 38 and section 39 organisations. Also, we are engaging with secondary schools and higher education institutions to expose more students to the rewarding and impactful work within CDNTs and within the disability sector overall. Seven of the disciplines required for working within the CDNTs are included on the critical skills occupations list in the Department of Enterprise, Trade and Employment as well.
Sentiment score: 0.19
I take both Deputies' points on board and it is an absolute priority. I came from having responsibility for special education and the Minister, Deputy Foley, was Minister for Education. We are now in the Department with responsibility for disability. We have a very clear picture of the need for more therapies, access to therapies and access to assessments. That is at the forefront of the work we are doing. We have a Cabinet committee on disability. Therapy in schools was mentioned. We are going to roll out that pilot to all special schools and eventually into all special classes in mainstream schools as well. That will help with children getting access to those therapies. In the communities with the CDNTs we want that multidisciplinary approach whereby children, if they need to get access to a dietician, physio or whatever, will have access to those therapies. My door is open if there are suggestions about recruitment. We are looking at therapy assistants-----
Sentiment score: 0.17
We are looking at pay and terms and conditions. That is under way as well, as the Deputy knows. We are looking at absolutely everything. There is our national disability strategy. That will not be just the Department with responsibility for disability but every single Government Department having disability in their brief. I will be publishing that strategy before the summer recess and that is going to feed into this as well. I absolutely agree with what the Deputies have said. It is an absolute priority of mine as the Minister of State with responsibility for disability sitting at the Cabinet table. My door is open for suggestions as well, if the Deputies have any.
Sentiment score: 0.13