Louth TD Ged Nash confirms almost 60% of positions at Louth Children's Disability Network are unfilled

Louth’s Labour TD, Ged Nash, has received confirmation that almost 60% of all available positions are unfilled at North and South Louth Children’s Disability Network Team (CDNT).

Deputy Nash described the figures “as an absolutely shocking and appalling failure of the children of Louth and demonstrates the need for radical change to properly fund, recruit and retain crucial staff”.

Deputy Nash obtained the shocking figures in response to a Parliamentary Question he put to the Minister for Children; Equality; Integration; and Youth, Roderic O’Gorman, on the 23^rd of October.

In a reply to deputy Nash, the HSE confirmed that there are a total of 35 positions covering dietitians, occupational therapists, physiotherapists, psychologists, social workers and speech and language therapists.

However, the figures show that only 15 of the 35 positions available are currently filled with a massive 20 positions unfilled. Of the unfilled positions, only one position is currently at recruitment stage, the remaining 19 positions are marked as ‘unable to fill’.

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Deputy Nash said the unfilled positions reflects the fact that there are currently 1045 children in Louth waiting for an assessment of needs in stage1 and stage 2.

The Louth deputy added “every day I am dealing with families on waiting lists for assessments and crucial treatments; It’s just unacceptable in a rich country”.

Labour’s Ged Nash added that the Labour Party manifesto makes clear that there is no quick fix solution, but that Labour in government will train more therapists and specialists, and ringfence the funding needed to hire future staff.

The Louth deputy added that as a bridging measure, Labour will invest in a waiting list initiative to provide outsourced diagnostic assessments for children waiting longest and put in place a process for reimbursing parents who must resort to private therapies and assessments.