I congratulate the Minister and Minister of State on their new positions. There are major issues in the disability sector, whether we are speaking about recruitment or retention. All has to be brought to bear. We hope there will be success at the talks. The workers want to see delivery of the WRC pay agreement of October 2023. A large number of section 39 workers in the disability sector have contacted me. They are very worried about the pay and numbers strategy being implemented. They have seen it in organisations such as St. John of God in terms of mental health services. They see it as job cuts and an inability to deliver a service. What interaction has the Minister of State had on this and delivering on this particular issue?
Sentiment score: 0.10
No, I have asked a supplementary question to Question No. 119.
Sentiment score: -0.26
I generally add confusion anyway.
Sentiment score: -0.30
121. Deputy Ruairí Ó Murchú asked the Minister for Children, Equality, Disability, Integration and Youth if she will provide the updated figures from the CDNT workforce report carried out in October 2024; if she will outline the strategy to deal with the current vacancy rate in CDNTs; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [6975/25]
Sentiment score: 0.01
I would like to ask the Minister of State if she will provide updated figures from the CDNT workforce report carried out in October 2024. Will she outline the strategy - some of this has been dealt with - regarding the current vacancy rate in the CDNTs and what can be done to rectify that, assuming we can provide the best result across the board to the children and families who are in need?
Sentiment score: 0.50
Go raibh maith agat. I would appreciate if we could get that full report as soon as possible when the Minister of State has an actual deadline. My last parliamentary question contains the same detail in relation to this issue. My understanding is that almost 530 whole-time equivalent positions were still missing or not filled at October last year in the children’s disability network teams. I would like some information in that regard because we are still talking about a very big hole. I remember a particular meeting of the Oireachtas Joint Committee on Autism when we met with representatives from the Association of Occupational Therapists of Ireland, the Irish Association of Speech and Language Therapists and the Psychological Society of Ireland. What they said is that nobody had a discussion with them regarding how best we could provide services. I think we will all say we need to look at how we deal with assessments and how we deliver therapies. I welcome the increases. I have spoken to the Minister of State before, even earlier today. We now really have to look at ramping up the school inclusion model and having holistic therapies in school where the need is. There is a fear. I understood from Adam Harris and AsIAm that families were worried it would be only school-specific. It needs to be more than that. We could still then provide the bespoke solutions required for those who need more acute therapies and assessments.
Sentiment score: 0.06
Obviously everything that can be done from a recruitment and retention point of view should be done. On workforce planning, we must ensure that have not only the best possible work conditions and pay but that we have enough students training. That all needs to be done. I am going back to two particular issues. I would be grateful for an update on how many whole-time equivalent positions are still missing from the CDNTs. The Minister of State may not have the figures with her now. The other issue is whether we are going to have an engagement with these organisations, which represent those necessary therapists, from a point of view of how we can get the best bang for our buck. I am talking about everything from assessments through to therapies. The school inclusion model has shown real successes so it is hard to see how that is not the model we need to roll out, not just for special schools but for mainstream as well so that we can provide a holistic service.
Sentiment score: 0.15