The Department is engaging with the Department for Further and Higher Education, Research, Innovation and Science regarding the provision of additional college places to address the enormous challenges in recruiting health and social care professionals in disability services. To expand the pipeline of health and social care personnel, a cross-departmental group headed up by my Department has been established to consider the current and future supply need for disciplines of staff working in disability services. The …

We will receive approximately 189 posts. Working with the Minister, Deputy Harris, we are looking at our education and training boards, ETBs, in the context of the assistant grades, and some ETBs are incredibly proactive in that regard. In respect of physiotherapists, 73 assistant grade therapists qualified at levels 5 and 6 at the ETBs in Cavan-Monaghan, Dublin city, Dún Laoghaire, Kerry and Limerick. That amounts to 85 in total who have qualified as assistants. They are a great support to physiotherapists at a se…

To be frank, my crisis is now. While we are working to recruit internationally and the HSE is working hard to put in relocation packages to support that complement, I am also looking at the master's degree programmes. The class of 2020 who qualified in science could pivot immediately into physiotherapy, occupational therapy or speech and language therapy. Similarly, I am looking at postgraduate courses in psychology, through which we could fill a portion of teams, provide clinical oversight and, at the same time, d…

I am fully committed to ensuring that more people with disabilities are employed in the public service. The public service must show leadership in this area. Part 5 of the Disability Act 2005 sets out obligations on public bodies to promote and support the employment of people with disabilities. The obligation previously set a minimum target such that 3% of public sector workers should be persons with disabilities. Government has doubled that statutory target for the employment of people with disabilities in the pu…

Deputy Moynihan has clearly identified that 12.7% of public bodies did not reach the minimum target. When the Minister, Deputy O'Gorman, and I met recently with the board of the HSE, this was one particular issue we raised with them and drew to their attention. The HSE has also indicated improvements on previous performance. That is significant given the scale of the HSE as a public sector employer. The NDA is currently engaging in a strategic process of engagement with a designated team that has been appointed in …

I do have a view on it. My view is that we do not have a clear understanding of disabilities. All of us talk about awareness, but where is the understanding? The understanding of disabilities is that every one of us who reaches 50 years of age will be dependent on a piece of assistive technology to get us through our day. That is an acknowledgement and an understanding, but for people who have profound or complex disabilities, a physical or mental disability or who is neurodiverse, we must understand how to have in…

I thank the Deputy for raising this particular question. The Programme for Government: Our Shared Future includes a commitment to advancing neurorehabilitation services in the community. In budget 2023, the Minister and I secured enough funding to put in place two community neurorehabilitation teams. Those two teams were in CHO 2 and CHO 4. The funding that was secured was in excess of €1.8 million. Not only did we secure that funding, we also secured enough funding for 28 new neurorehabilitation clinical specialis…

I welcome the opportunity to discuss home support services and I thank the Deputies for tabling this Private Members’ motion. As Minister of State with responsibility for disability, the issue of home care is very relevant to my brief. We know that most people prefer being cared for at home. The home support service is therefore essential for thousands of people across the country. As I stand here today, 56,000 individuals are receiving that home care support. It is highly valued by service users and their families…

I am just putting this information on the floor of the Dáil. I am not the operational manager nor am I the head of any of those private companies.

It is possible to say that €28.50 is what is provided to the private providers. It is anticipated that the implementation of the 16 recommendations will have a lasting, positive impact on the waiting lists and recruitment and retention in the sector. I am pleased to say the HSE has progressed the tender for home support services with the new authorisation scheme anticipated to commence this summer. The authorisation model is open-ended; therefore new entrants to the market may apply to join at any stage, periodical…

I thank the Senator for raising this issue this morning. Last year, the Government announced a generous tax-free Covid-19 recognition payment for front-line healthcare workers to recognise their unique and exceptional role during the pandemic. The Senator is quite right; I know St. Christopher's Services quite well. I have visited a number of times and acknowledge the phenomenal work of the staff. Following extensive union consultation, eligible guidelines were first published online by the HSE on 19 April 2022. Th…

As I am taking this on behalf of the senior Minister in the Department of Health, I will give the Senator my understanding from reading the script here. My understanding is that the €1,000 bonus payment was paid firstly to the HSE staff. It was then paid secondly to the section 38 staff. They are currently working their way through the section 39 organisations. There are 850 of those section 39 organisations, of which 689 have compiled a report back in. There are 66,000 staff right across it and they are currently …

I thank the Senator for raising this important issue. I am taking it on behalf of my colleague, the Minister of State, Deputy Mary Butler. The Government remains committed to the development of all aspects of mental health services nationally, including those for children and young people. This is reflected by the record allocation of over €1.2 billion for mental health in 2023, which includes a wide spectrum of services for young people ranging from prevention and early intervention to clinical programmes or acute…

As I am deputising for the Minister of State, Deputy Butler, I cannot give the Senator a date and time. There is no doubt that the issues around youth mental health span many Departments and improved co-ordination in this area is needed. Improving access to youth mental health services for children and their families remains a priority for the Minister of State, Deputy Butler, the Minister, Deputy Stephen Donnelly, and the Department of Health. The fact that the pathfinder project is a programme for Government comm…

I thank the Senator for bringing such a valuable contribution to the floor of the Seanad. I compliment the Leader of the Seanad on accepting it because I was totally unaware of the discrepancy. I will read the script prepared by the Minister, Deputy Donnelly, and then I will give an answer. The Minister for Health has been advised that SPC services in Louth and Meath provide care to patients of all ages irrespective of diagnosis, cancer or non-cancer, on the basis of need alone. These services are provided by a mul…

I again thank the Senator for raising this issue. Due to its urgency, I will ask my office to liaise with that of the Minister to get it set up straight away. I would hate to think we did not have public health nurses throughout Louth and Meath, so we must address how the practice is delivered there. We will address that over the coming days.

I thank the Senator for raising this important matter and welcome the opportunity to update the House. As she said, I am taking the matter on behalf of the Minister for Education. Throughout the education system, including in respect of State examinations, progress is continuing to return the education system to normality following the disruption to teaching and learning resulting from the Covid-19 pandemic. The Minister and her Government colleagues recognise the impact the pandemic has had on students and their w…

I thank the Senator for raising this important issue. I hope the information that has been provided to the House is helpful. The Minister recognises the pressures on students sitting State examinations and the pressures on schools preparing them for these important milestones. The State Examinations Commission and the Department of Education are committed to continuing to work together to return the greatest possible level of normality for young people. Regarding last week's higher level mathematics paper one, the …

I thank Deputy Troy for raising this important issue and for bringing this matter to the attention of the Minister, Deputy McEntee. I am taking it on behalf of the Minister. I am happy to set out for the Deputy and the House the measures the Department of Justice is taking to resolve the current issues in processing atypical working scheme applications. The atypical working scheme was developed by the Department of Justice and the Department of Enterprise, Trade and Employment to facilitate specialised, highly skil…

I thank the Deputy. I assure him that the Minister, Deputy McEntee, recognises and acknowledges the crucial role non-nationals play in our health sector workforce. They often work in challenging environments and deal with vulnerable people on a daily basis. Their exceptional commitment was particularly clear throughout the Covid pandemic. It is important for me to say, as the Minister of State with responsibility for disability, how much I depend on, and how I am trying to accelerate disability into, that exact spa…