Dáil Éireann Debate, Thursday - 19 February 2026
123. Deputy John Clendennen asked the Minister for Children, Disability and Equality the steps being taken to improve access to children's disability network teams; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [13293/26]
View answerThe Children Disability Network Teams are interdisciplinary team services for children presenting with complex clinical needs requiring collaborative work on shared clinical goals.
Through the roadmap for Service Improvement, Disability Services for Children and Young People, a series of actions have been progressed to improve access to Children’s Disability Network Teams (CDNTs). These teams provided supports to 44,739 children with complex needs as of the end of December 2025. This represents an increase of approximately 2,000 children compared with May 2024.
The HSE are currently developing a Service Improvement Plan 2026-2027-Disability Services for Children and Young People, which will build on and improve works started under the Roadmap.
The Government has provided funding for additional posts to enhance the capacity of CDNTs and shorten waiting times in recent years, with further investment in Budget 2026 to fund 150 posts for CDNTs and clinical trainee places. In Budget 2026 alone, more than €3.8 billion has been allocated for Disability Services, which represents an overall increase since 2020 of €1.8bn.
The overall Children’s Disability Network Team vacancy rate has reduced from 29% in 2023, to 18% in 2025 – a reduction of 11 percentage points nationally.
The HSE are driving intensive domestic and international recruitment efforts.
A dedicated Disability Workforce Strategy will be developed by the HSE in 2026, to meet growing service demands and address recruitment and retention challenges across specialist disability services, including Children’s Disability Network Teams.
The Government, the Department, the HSE and service providers remain committed to the delivery of appropriate services for children with disabilities and their families that meet their needs.
