Pauline Tully (Cavan-Monaghan, Sinn Fein)

We have been hearing about a recruitment campaign for quite some time. The progressing disability model was drawn up in 2013 or 2014, I think. At that time, workforce planning was not done and we now do not have sufficient therapists. I acknowledge it will take time to educate enough therapists but there is no guarantee they will work in disability services. There are many other areas they could work in and many are leaving and going to work in other countries where they can do their jobs.

I feel sorry for therapists and CDNTs who want to do their job but are unable to because of the lack of staff on their team. They end up dealing all the time with understandably irate parents whose children are not being seen or assessed in time or getting therapies. It also annoys parents very much when they are told there have been a certain number of engagements. They are counting phone calls and letters to parents and parents going on courses as engagement with the child. Many decisions are being made about children who have not been seen by the team. That is quite serious.

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