This Government recognises the importance of early intervention for children with disabilities and ensuring they receive the right services at the right time.
There are 93 Children’s Disability Network Teams aligned to 96 Community Healthcare Networks across the country, are providing services and supports for children aged from birth to 18 years of age.
Children’s Disability Network Teams currently provide services and support for over 45,000 children with complex needs.
A significant focus of the Government is filling vacant posts within the 93 Children's Disability Network Teams.
HSE preliminary data indicates that the national CDNT waiting list has reduced by 50% from 16,522 children awaiting an initial contact with a Children’s Disability Network Team in 2023 to 8,200 children at the end of March 2026.
The HSE reports 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 Children’s Disability Network Teams.
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.
Funding has been made available for Children’s Disability Services to build on existing recruitment initiatives:
In 2025 €2.85m in funding was provided, 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.
In 2026, the HSE and funded agencies will continue to focus on maximising recruitment potential and engagement within the current applicant market to achieve workforce growth.
