Carol Nolan exposes vacancies crippling Leish Offaly disability services
Carol Nolan raised serious concerns about disability services in Leish Offaly, citing multiple full-time vacancies across local children's disability network teams. She urged the Taoiseach to intervene urgently, warning that children are being denied vital speech and language and occupational therapy.
Staffing vacancies in local teams
Nolan detailed specific vacancy levels in Leish Offaly - one team serving Eden Derry and Mount Melick has seven full-time vacancies, another at Riverside, Tullamore has four, and Port Leish's Spree Centre has the highest number. She said these vacancies have been in place for some time.
Impact on children and therapies
She warned children are being failed and are not getting access to vital therapies such as speech and language therapy and occupational therapy, stressing immediate consequences for care.
Calls for urgent intervention
Nolan appealed directly to the Taoiseach to intervene urgently and asked for swift action to get to the bottom of the problem. She said she will continue to engage with the minister and the HSC in respect of this issue.
Funding and recruitment concerns
She noted an additional 65 million was provided in 2022 for disability services and argued delivery must follow. Nolan highlighted recruitment remains a challenge, particularly for therapists, and called for faster recruitment processes and better collaboration with the HSC to fill posts.
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There's a very serious problem in regard to disability services in Leish Offaly. Currently in Leish Offaly, the children's disability network teams, for example, in one area that serves Eden Derry and Mount Melick, one of the teams has seven full-time vacancies. Another team has four vacancies at Riverside, Tullamore, and then the highest level of full-time vacancies is in Port Leish, the Spree Centre. Now these are vacancies that have been there for some time, I gather, but children are being failed, and they're not getting access to vital therapies such as speech and language therapy and occupational therapy. I'm asking you if you could please intervene urgently in this matter. I do recognise the fact that Minister Rabbit is doing everything in her power, but the HSC are not collaborating, and that seems to be a big issue. But I am appealing to you to please intervene as quick as possible, because children are being failed. Please take action and ensure that we get to the bottom of this. Yes, I will again engage with Minister Rabbit and the HSC in respect of this. I mean, an additional 65 million was provided in 2022 for disability services, so we now have to get delivery on that. And I think recruitment continues to be a challenge, particularly in respect of the therapists across the service. And that's an issue that we have to work with the HSC to examine further to get recruitment processes speedier and to get people into posts. Thank you very much. Thank you very much.
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