This Government and I recognise the importance of early intervention and therapy input for children with disabilities and is committed to ensuring that children and their families can access that support in a timely way.
The Government has provided funding for additional posts to enhance the capacity of Children's Disability Network Teams and shorten the waiting times in recent years, with further investment in both Budgets 2025 and 2026 to fund additional therapy posts and clinical trainee places. Funding of €2.85m was made available in 2025 for Children’s Services to build on existing recruitment initiatives, with funding focusing on various positions across CDNTs. A further €8 million has been secured in Budget 2026 to allow for the funding of 150 posts to CDNTs.
Despite sustained pressures, waiting lists were reduced by 28% in 2025, whilst in the National Service Plan for 2026 the HSE has committed to a further 25% reduction. HSE preliminary data indicates that the national CDNT waiting list has reduced by 48% from 16,522 children awaiting an initial contact with a CDNT in 2023 to 8,648 children at the end of February 2026. HSE preliminary data for February 2026 also indicates that CDNTs are providing services and supports nationally for 45,141 children and strategies and supports for waitlisted children with urgent needs, where staffing resources allow.
Progress is also being made on the recruitment of staff to CDNTs, with the HSE reporting a 28% increase in staffing levels nationwide from October 2023 to October 2025. This equates to an additional 448 Whole-Time Equivalents (WTE), including an additional 321 Health and Social Care Professionals (HSCPs).
To continue this growth, the HSE is driving intensive domestic and international recruitment efforts and will undertake a variety of workforce initiatives to support sustained growth of CDNTs and the wider disability service. 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 CDNTs. The Strategy will be developed as a distinct and visible strand within the new HSE Resourcing Strategy 2026-2029, detailing specific actions for Disability services while remaining fully aligned with national workforce reform
In addition, placements on CDNTs will continue to be expanded, alongside a continued expansion in the number of places in higher education, to develop the pipeline of future therapists. The Programme for Government commits to doubling the number of college places for speech and language therapists, physiotherapists, occupational therapists, dietitians, psychologists and social workers. This expansion will provide up to 461 additional student places by 2028, with the majority commenced in 2025.
In 2026, the HSE will develop targeted retention actions and innovative recruitment campaigns to address persistent vacancies and optimise recruitment across all service providers, ensuring the workforce reaches its funded level.
While demand for Assessment of Need continues to rise, there has been a welcome increase in the number of completed assessment reports, especially over the last two years. Over 5,900 assessment reports were completed by the end of 2025, representing a 43% increase year-on-year compared to 2024. Additionally, since June 2024, 7,700 clinical assessments have been commissioned privately through the AON Targeted Waitlist Initiative to support the delivery of AON reports at a cost of €27.8 million.
HSE Disability Services recognises the importance of support during transition between child and adult services. CDNTs work with families to prepare for this change through Individual Family Support Planning, which includes goal setting, skills development, and referral to appropriate adult services. Transition planning is recognised as a gradual process that supports young people and families to prepare for adulthood and lifelong wellbeing. The HSE Day Opportunities Team works closely with CDNTs to support transfer to HSE funded adult day services where this is the appropriate pathway.
