Eamon Walsh

The Brothers of Charity in Galway has been hit by the HSE embargo on staff recruitment. Posts promised since 2006 have not been realised and the recruitment process has been stopped in its tracks. The Brothers of Charity provides vital speech, language and occupational therapy across the city and county.

In 2006, the Brothers of Charity successfully negotiated with the HSE for 10.8 new posts. In 2007, they were promised 12 posts in a bid to meet the demand of the ever-rising waiting lists. However, since this HSE embargo came into play, none of the posts have been assigned.

"The 2006 posts had been sanctioned and interviews began in July of this year," said Eamon Walsh who is on the Board of Directors with the Brothers of Charity in Galway.

"Then in August and September of this year the recruitment process was frozen. It looks like the 2006 posts will not be realised until 2008.

"The process is just rolling on and who knows when the 2007 posts will be filled," explained Eamon who is also Chairperson of ACT (Action for Children and Teenagers). This is a parents representative group.

With no new posts, there is a complete lack of resources for multi-disability staff, who cater to occupational and psychological therapy, and nursing staff. This is having a knock on affect on the ground. Waiting lists for these services are between one to six years and rising every year.

"The HSE 100 per cent fund and sanction these posts and facilities to the Brothers of Charity, so there is no other plan or option in place to deal with the increasing waiting lists," said Eamon.

"The HSE in Galway is doing their best but it seems the HSE is taking a hard line on this and it will remain this way. Parents are feeling quite isolated and are almost at the point of thinking that no one cares."

"This situation needs to be sorted as the importance of therapy from an early age is the most important thing at stake," concluded Eamon. For further information log onto www.actgalway.ie.

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