Health Services Staff

Dáil Éireann Debate, Tuesday - 16 April 2024

Tuesday, 16 April 2024

Questions (570, 601)

Robert Troy

Question:

570. Deputy Robert Troy asked the Minister for Children, Equality, Disability, Integration and Youth if there is a child psychologist vacancy in an area intervention team (details supplied). [16437/24]

Robert Troy

Question:

601. Deputy Robert Troy asked the Minister for Children, Equality, Disability, Integration and Youth the number of staff that are working in the speech and language therapy in the HSE in Springfield, Mullingar; the number of vacancies that currently exist in that service; the number of people waiting to access that service; and his plans to address this concern. [16529/24]

Written answers

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

I propose to take Questions Nos. 570 and 601 together.

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 Fórsa 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.