Vulnerable Mayo children face devastating frontline therapy cuts - TD
A Mayo TD has delivered a scathing condemnation of the proposed removal of a vacant post from the children’s disability network team in south and west Mayo
Deputy Paul Lawless said the cut is a direct betrayal of vulnerable children and their families, who have already endured wait times of up to three years for vital therapy.
He accused the HSE and government of engaging in "insulting political spin" by suggesting the removal of a vacant post is not a cut to frontline hours.
"Families and children in Mayo are about to receive a cut in their CDNT's posts.
"In recent days and weeks, families in this region have been fed a word salad of vague assurances, slippery phrasing and political spin.”
"The restructuring happening in the CDNT network is robbing Peter to pay Paul.
"Taking vacant posts to fill other posts is deeply wrong. CDNT 3 was supposed to grow to five speech and language therapists, but instead of that position being filled, the post has been removed. That is a cut, and it has been fed to families as if it were a positive thing."
Deputy Lawless argued that the vacancy is not a reflection of a lack of need but a failure of the HSE’s recruitment and retention policies.
The removal of the post, he asserts, is punishing the children and families of south and west Mayo due to the Government’s failure to address core staffing issues.
“We are seeing an incredible situation whereby the HSE is competing with itself to recruit individuals to fulfil vital gaps.
"Although the money is there, we are seeing continued difficulty in the recruitment of speech and language therapists, physiotherapists and occupational therapists, as they are also being recruited elsewhere across the public health sector.
“There is a window of opportunity for these children. They have been waiting over three years for speech and language therapy. The windows of opportunity for these children are closing on a weekly and monthly basis, and it is devastating for these families."
“I am calling on the government to be straight with the people of Mayo, protect the vacant post in CDNT 3 serving communities like Louisburgh, Westport, Ballinrobe, Kilmaine, Shrule and the Neale, and urgently address the root causes of the crisis,” he added.