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Children’s disability services posts left unfilled

More than 40 per cent of posts in children’s disability services in Meath are currently vacant and 826 children are on waiting lists for services. The stark figures were revealed in answer to a parliamentary question by deputy Darren O’Rourke who urged the Government to act to fill the vacant posts. Children’s Disability Network Teams…

More than 40 per cent of posts in children’s disability services in Meath are currently vacant and 826 children are on waiting lists for services.

The stark figures were revealed in answer to a parliamentary question by deputy Darren O’Rourke who urged the Government to act to fill the vacant posts.

Children’s Disability Network Teams (CDNTs) in Meath following confirmation that more than 40 per cent of posts (42 out of 102) are unfilled across the county’s four Children’s Disability Network Teams (CDNTs).

“The staff shortage is getting worse and worse. The figures released to me confirm that each of Meath’s four Children’s Disability Network Teams have multiple vacancies. Every Team has multiple vacancies and they are across grades and across disciplines. This has a major impact on service provision.

The Kells area team has 9.98 unfilled posts from a total allocation of 20.1 posts, while the Ashbourne/Dunshaughlin team has 13.22 unfilled posts from a total allocation of 31.56 posts and the Navan/Slane team has 7.86 unfilled posts from a total allocation of 26.36 posts. The Trim team has 11 unfilled posts from a total allocation of 23.97 posts.

“With vacancies at 41.2 per cent, this equates to more than 2 in 5 posts unfilled across the county,” he said.

“It is clear from the figures that there are many unfilled posts in each of the four CDNTs and at practically every grade and discipline, including Senior and Staff Grade Occupational Therapist, Speech and Language Therapist, Psychologist and Social Worker. It is also clear that there are differences between CDNTs, with higher levels of vacancies in some disciplines and some grades between areas.

“This has a direct impact on the services and supports available to children around the county. This is simply unacceptable. To make matters worse, the picture is a worsening one. Two years ago, in mid-2022 the HSE confirmed to me that 20.76 out of the then total of 86.66 posts were vacant (24 per cent).

“It is welcome that additional posts have been granted (the total is up from 86.66 to 101.99), but it is absolutely pointless if those posts remain unfilled, as is the case. In fact the number of unfilled posts has more than doubled in the past two years, from 20.76 in 2022 to 42.06 in 2024.

“It is a fact that child-to-staff ratios are too high, and waiting lists for assessments and therapies are unacceptably long. In their response, the HSE also confirmed that there are 826 children in Co Meath currently on waiting lists.

“This is a crisis and it is getting worse. It is heart-breaking for the children and families involved.

“Government must ensure that recruitment challenges are resolved urgently. It can be done.

“We need a ‘job guarantee’, improved terms and conditions, and more alternative routes to entry. Addressing the crisis will require a focussed, multi-department, co-ordinated response. “We have not seen that from Government. Children with disabilities in Co Meath are being failed in the meantime,” he concluded.

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by Ann Casey

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