Skip to main content
Normal View

Dáil Éireann debate -
Wednesday, 6 Oct 1993

Vol. 434 No. 2

Written Answers. - Speech Therapists.

Batt O'Keeffe

Question:

345 Mr. B. O'Keeffe asked the Minister for Health if he intends to appoint speech therapists for the Cork area in view of the fact that there are now in excess of 1,000 people on the waiting list for speech therapy.

The Southern Health Board employs a total of 11 speech therapists. Eight are based in County Cork — two principals, one senior and five basic grades. My Department has recently approved the appointment of an additional two speech therapists for the Southern Health Board region to meet priorities identified by the board.

I am concerned at the adequacy of speech and language therapy services in different parts of the country and I regard the expansion of such services as a priority. For this reason almost £200,000 of the £1.5 million provided this year for physical disability services will be devoted to improvements in speech and language therapy services. I hope to build on these developments in the future. However, the Deputy will appreciate that in the light of competing demands for development of other services for the physically and sensory disabled, improvements in the speech and language therapy services can only come about on a phased basis.

Top
Share