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08 Oct 2025

‘No current hours will be cut’ to frontline therapy hours in Mayo

Concern had been raised that a national restructuring with the HSE could result in the permanent loss of a therapist

‘No current hours will be cut’ to frontline therapy hours in Mayo

Fine Gael TD Keira Keogh and Aontú TD Paul Lawless

Fine Gael TD Keira Keogh has disputed claims by Aontú TD Paul Lawless’ that the creation of a new managerial position within the Children’s Disability Network Team (CDNT3) will result in a reduction in frontline therapy hours in Mayo. 

Earlier on Wednesday, Deputy Lawless stated that “This is not just a staffing change, it’s a direct blow to children who rely on these services to communicate, connect, and thrive. Families are being told that governance and management expansion are more important than their child’s ability to speak.”

In a letter to parents, Deputy Keogh wrote that “having worked in the disability space supporting neurodiverse children for nearly 20 years, I am very aware of the importance of timely support and therapy to children and families.”

After speaking with both Hildegarde Naughton, Minister of State at the Department of Children, Equality, Disability, Integration and Youth with responsibility for Disability and the General Manager of the Children’s Disability Services for HSE West and North West, the Westport TD said: “I spoke with the manager today at length and outlined the concerns that parents were informed at the family forum that there was a  plan to cut 35 hours of frontline Speech and Language Therapy from CDNT3 in order to create new management posts.”

“The manager outlined that no current hours will be cut and that she feels the new post will ‘bring more boots on the ground’. The new posts around the country, while remaining cost neutral, are utilising current vacant posts. When I questioned her further about the specific post in CDNT3 she mentioned this post has remained vacant despite multiple attempts at filling it and that she believes the manager post will be a positive step forward for service delivery within the area.”

READ MORE: Garda National Cyber Crime Bureau carry out search and arrest operation in Mayo

The Fine Gael Chair of the Oireachtas Committee Children and Equality was assured that if a current CDNT staff member gets promoted into the new managerial role, “their post would as normal then be advertised and filled by another person, if it is a funded role.”

She went on to say that she notes “concerns amongst parents, that there are plans to cut therapy hours from CDNT teams nationwide, I hope that the announcement in Budget 2026 today committing to an additional €8 million to fill 150 CDNT posts nationwide alleviates that concern.”

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