Sinn Féin TD Pádraig Mac Lochlainn has said hundreds of children with disabilities and their families are being ‘badly failed’ across Donegal.
He says that the level of vacancies for key positions in the Children’s Disability Network Teams (CDNT) in the county is now at crisis level with children and families facing long and unacceptable waiting times.
Deputy MacLochlainn has confirmed local TDs and HSE Forum Member Councillors will meet with senior HSE management in the weeks ahead to again appeal for urgent solutions.
“Across the board, there are vacancies for key positions: Social workers, social care workers, speech and language therapists, psychologists, physiotherapists, occupational therapists, and community facilitators,” Deputy Mac Lochlainn said.
On top of that, he added, vital respite services are down in various locations.
“All of this has caused long delays for hundreds of children with disabilities and their families to get the vital services, support, and respite that they need”.
He says he has raised this with the Minister for Health and with senior HSE management in Donegal for months.
“Now, I am again calling on the Minister for Health to do all that he can to get these vital positions filled and these services reinstated to a level that is acceptable.
A cross party group of local TDs and HSE Forum Member Councillors will meet with senior HSE management in the weeks ahead. Parents representatives will also be present at that meeting to outline the serious impact for the children and their families from this staffing crisis. I expect to hear solutions and a way forward at that meeting”.
