SERVICE providers for children with disabilities in Limerick are struggling with staff vacancy rates of 17 per cent, it has been revealed.
The HSE has confirmed there is an average staff vacancy rate across the country of 28 per cent in community disability network teams across the nine Community Healthcare Organisation (CHO) areas.
CHO 3, which covers Limerick, Clare and North Tipperary, needs 17 per cent of its posts to be filled, the lowest percentage of all the HSE areas.
The figures were given to the Limerick Post following a Children’s Disability Network Team (CDNT) staff census and workforce review carried out in October 2021, the final report of which has now been given to the Department of Health and relevant stakeholders.
The national figures include a 29 per cent vacancy rate at senior level, a 34 per cent vacancy rate at staff grade and a 78 per cent vacancy rate among clinical specialists.
Sinn Féin’s Spokesperson on Disability and Carers, Pauline Tully, claimed that many of the vacancies are “down to the fact that the HSE does not fund CDNTs to backfill or replace staff who are vacant due to maternity, paternity, or parental leave.”
“This is placing an extremely heavy burden on the staff who are in post as they try to cope with the additional workload placed on them,” she said.
The shortfall in staff has been blamed as one of the main causes for huge backlogs of children waiting for assessments and services.
In response to the figures, a spokesperson for the HSE said, “This report has provided valuable information on the number of staff working in the CDNTs by discipline and grade,” which will “allow targeted workforce planning by the HSE.”
The spokesperson said the figure “includes unfilled 2021 development posts as well as other vacancies arising from retirements, resignations, maternity leaves, etc.
“Since 2019, more than 475 development posts have been allocated to children’s disability services across the country. This includes 190 additional therapy posts.
“The HSE experiences ongoing challenges recruiting staff across a range of disciplines and grades. It continues to explore a range of options to support the recruitment of essential staff across all aspects of the health services. The HSE works collaboratively with the CDNT Lead Agencies to progress recruitment initiatives for these teams,” the spokesperson added.
