Dáil hears of deepening crisis in Tipperary disability team as vacancies soar

Taoiseach acknowledges service strain with high staff gaps and long assessment delays

The Children’s Disability Network Team in Clonmel is facing what local representatives describe as a severe and worsening crisis, with staffing levels far below what is required to run the service.

According to figures raised in the Dáil, over 60 per cent of posts remain unfilled and that number is expected to climb to 72 per cent by the end of the year. The scale of the vacancies has led to warnings that the service is on the brink of collapse.

These concerns were highlighted by Independent TD Mattie McGrath who brought the matter before the Taoiseach. He pointed out that the vacancy rate in Clonmel is far higher than the national average and stands in stark contrast to broader trends in disability services.

Nationally, the number of staff working across the Children’s Disability Network has risen in recent times, yet Clonmel has experienced no such improvement.

Deputy McGrath also detailed the impact on families in the area. He noted that 114 children are currently awaiting an assessment of needs, with 59 of them waiting for more than 12 months. This, he said, places the service in breach of legal requirements governing assessment timeframes.

In response, Taoiseach Micheál Martin acknowledged the seriousness of the situation. He said the difficulties in Clonmel are not keeping pace with the progress seen elsewhere and described the area as an outlier when compared to national developments.