Disability Services

Wednesday, 20 March 2024

Questions (1159)

Paul Murphy

Question:

1159. Deputy Paul Murphy asked the Minister for Children, Equality, Disability, Integration and Youth the views of the HSE on how the numbers it allocates for staffing are sufficient to efficiently decrease the waitlist numbers and provide suitable and effective therapies in each CDNT; and if the HSE admits its potential role in understaffing and overworking current employees as a contributing factor for the crisis in finding and retaining therapeutic workers (details supplied). [12504/24]

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Written answers

Minister of State at the Department of Children, Equality, Disability, Integration and Youth

As this question refers to service matters, I have asked the Health Service Executive (HSE) to respond to the Deputy directly, as soon as possible. The Deputy will likely be aware that the industrial action by certain Forsa grades in the HSE has been suspended. The HSE has indicated that they have recommenced issuing replies to questions but there is a significant backlog of PQs and Reps to be responded to and has advised that they are working to get through these as soon as possible while at the same time managing the volume of current PQs and Reps