Dáil Éireann Debate, Tuesday - 15 July 2025
832. Deputy Eoghan Kenny asked the Minister for Children, Disability and Equality for an update on the Programme for Government commitment to consider measures to attract and retain staff in the disability sector, as of July 2025; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [39522/25]
Amharc ar fhreagraReflective of issues affecting the broader health and social care sector, the HSE and lead agencies are experiencing ongoing recruitment and retention challenges in disability services.
Whilst acknowledging the challenges, it is important to recognise that the disabilities workforce is growing year on year. From December 2019 to May 2025, the disabilities workforce in HSE and Section 38 providers grew by 20%. The HSE Children’s Disability Network Team (CDNT) workforce survey data for April 2025 demonstrates the progress that has been made over the past 18 months, with a nationwide increase of 26% in CDNT staffing levels since October 2023. Most significantly, the CDNT vacancy rate has reduced from 29% in 2023 to 18% in 2025 - a reduction of 11% nationally.
In order to achieve the staffing level improvements seen in 2024, and to fill current vacancies, there are intensive domestic and international recruitment efforts across the HSE, Section 38 and Section 39 organisations to recruit and onboard staff. This in turn, has a positive impact on retaining the staff already working in the sector. There are also a number of measures designed to attract and retain staff in CDNTs currently being progressed as part of the Progressing Disability Services (PDS) Roadmap.
A Student Sponsorship Programme was advertised by the HSE in April 2025 and will support Health and Social Care Professional (HSCP) graduates to take up a job in CDNTs, by providing financial sponsorship for part of their education costs, and matching them to a job in a CDNT. In mid-May 2025, a virtual career fair took place with a focus on Disabilities and a career in CDNTs. This featured HSE, Section 38 and Section 39 CDNT staff across a range of professions. This event targeted secondary schools, colleges and overseas workers. To further support the service provision, there is ongoing development of additional disciplines to expand skills mix and applicant pools, including the development of the role of Health and Social Care Assistant (Therapy Assistant) in 2024.
The HSE continues to work with overseas agencies to expand international recruitment. Within this, there is a particular focus on Irish trained overseas applicants, with a relocation package available to meet vouched expenses of Health and Social Care Professionals who have travelled overseas.
A dedicated Disability Workforce Strategy will be developed by the HSE later in 2025, to meet growing service demands and address recruitment and retention challenges across specialist disability services. Work during 2025 is focusing on analysing retention challenges, understanding why workers stay and why they leave. This will form the foundation for a retention action plan with a range of initiatives to respond to the requirements of the existing workforce.
Increasing the disability workforce is key to delivering on the step change in disability services commitment contained in the Programme for Government.
