Dáil Éireann Debate, Tuesday - 27 July 2021
1782. Deputy David Cullinane asked the Minister for Health the estimated cost of an additional community intervention team; the staffing composition of same; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [35490/21]
View answerIt is unfortunately not possible to provide an accurate costing for “an additional” Community Intervention Team (CIT).
This is because CITs are designed to meet the needs of local populations, and hence the cost and staffing composition of each team will vary depending on the needs and requirements of patients in a specific catchment area. As such, the composition of these teams - and the associated costs - will vary.
However, the Deputy may wish to note that as part of the Enhanced Community Care programme, some €4.125m was set aside to enable the recruitment of 45 additional staff to CITs. This funding was intended to expand three existing teams and, crucially, to establish five new CITs in Cavan/Monaghan, Donegal, Longford/Westmeath, Mayo and Wexford. This will ensure, for the first time, that CITs provide national coverage.
The provision of CITs is an operational issue and is a matter for the HSE. However, members of the Oireachtas are advised that the HSE is currently unable to access the information to answer Parliamentary Questions due to the recent cyber-attack, which has required a temporary shut-down of HSE IT systems. The disruption to service is on-going, and the HSE is working hard to restore its IT capacity and resume normal services.
