Dáil Éireann Debate, Thursday - 19 February 2026
128. Deputy Brian Stanley asked the Minister for Children, Disability and Equality for an update on the programme for Government measures that are in place to recruit and retain staff in the disability sector; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [13096/26]
Amharc ar fhreagraStrengthening the disability workforce is essential to delivering on the step change in disability services commitment contained in the Programme for Government.
Although global shortages of qualified healthcare professionals continue to pose challenges, progress on recruitment is being made. The disability workforce is expanding year on year. In 2025 alone, the combined HSE and Section 38 workforce grew by 1,053 Whole-Time Equivalents (WTE), an increase of almost 5%.
The October 2025 Children’s Disability Network Team (CDNT) Workforce Report indicates that there has been a 28% increase in CDNT staffing levels nationwide in the preceding two years. This equates to an additional 448 WTE.
Building on growth achieved in 2025, Budget 2026 will allow for further targeted expansion in the workforce across key services, including Residential and Respite Services, Day Services, Children’s Services and Neurorehabilitation.
The HSE and lead agencies are actively working to optimise recruitment into disability services and CDNTs, which in turn has a positive impact on retaining the staff already working in the sector. The HSE maximises applicant engagement opportunities on an ongoing basis to encourage uptake of vacancies in Disability services, including recruitment fairs, outreach to third level colleges and secondary schools, presence at national events as well as virtual engagements.
The HSE have also enabled funded agencies to advertise their vacant posts through HSE advertisement channels, which provides agencies with direct access to the substantial candidate pools registered on the HSE CareerHub portal. 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.
The Programme for Government commits to doubling the number of college places for Health and Social Care Professionals (HSCPs). Last June, the Government approved an expansion in training places in disciplines critical to disability, health and education services from September 2025. This expansion will provide up to 461 additional places by 2028, with the majority having commenced in 2025.
Clinical placements in CDNTs have increased by 55% in the past two years and significant further growth is required across all Disability services, to align with the increased training places. Budget 2026 has provided for an enhanced clinical placement infrastructure in the disability sector, with dedicated resources within the HSE’s 2026 WTE allocation to support sustainable practice education.
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. Developing effective retention and workforce development initiatives requires a deeper understanding of the factors that support staff to remain working and practising within the disability sector. The HSE has commissioned a research study examining retention factors in CDNTs and the insights from this study will inform the wider Disability Workforce Strategy.
