Bernard J. Durkan
Question:59 Mr. Durkan asked the Minister for Health the proposals he has for hospital building or the carrying out of extensions to hospitals in 1994; and if he will make a statement on the matter.
Written Answers. - Hospital Developments.
The health capital allocation for 1994 has not yet been decided by the Government, so I am not in a position at this stage to give a definitive list of the hospital developments that will be included in my Department's capital programme for that year.
Jimmy Deenihan
Question:63 Mr. Deenihan asked the Minister for Health if his attention has been drawn to the inadequate level of therapeutic services which are available in County Kerry for children with speech/language disorders; and if he has any plans to improve the existing services.
Andrew Boylan
Question:231 Mr. Boylan asked the Minister for Health the number of speech therapists in the North Eastern Health Board area; where they are based; and if he will make a statement on the matter.
I propose to take Questions Nos. 63 and 231 together.
Responsibility for the provision of speech therapy in the North Eastern Health Board area is a matter for that Board and in the case of County Kerry, for the Southern Health Board. It is up to each Board to decide on the priority it affords the various services in the light of available resources.
The North Eastern Health Board employs 10 full time speech therapists and 3 sessional staff. The breakdown between community care areas is as follows.
Meath community care area has 4 full time staff, i.e., Principal and 3 basic grades, as well as one sessional therapist who provides 4 sessions a week.
The Louth area has 3 full time staff, i.e., 1 Principal and 2 basic grades, as well as one sessional therapist providing 7 sessions a week.
Finally, the Cavan/Monaghan community care area has 3 full time speech therapists, i.e., 1 Principal and 2 basic grades as well as one sessional therapist who provides 6 sessions a week.
The Southern Health Board employs three speech therapists in County Kerry — one principal and two basic grades. The Board recently made an application for the appointment of six additional speech thereapists and my Department has approved the appointment of two speech and language therapists. I understand that the Board intends to assign these additional staff to County Kerry.
On a broader level, I would like to state my concern about 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 Deputies will appreciate that in the light of competing demands for development of other services for people with physical and sensory disabilities improvements in the speech and language therapy services can only come about on a phased basis.