Sinn Féin spokesperson on Disability and Carers and local TD Deputy Pauline Tully has expressed her relief to the confirmation she received that Disability Services will not be effected by the current HSE recruitment freeze. The Cavan-Monaghan TD was informed in a reply to a parliamentary question she submitted to the Minister of State with responsibility for Disabilities.
She told Northern Sound that it is a relief to be informed that Disability Services are not to be effected by the current HSE recruitment freeze following on from being contacted by many service providers, disabled people and parents on this issue. The local TD pointed to the fact that they were extremely worried that the HSE recruitment freeze would, if extended to Disability Services, compound an already appalling situation regarding access to assessments and services.
Deputy Tully said that for example, many parents whose children are on the waiting list for an Assessment of Need were extremely worried this would extend their child's wait even further as Children's Disability Network Teams are already seriously under-staffed, with several hundred vacant positions to be filled.
