Dáil Éireann debate -
Wednesday, 30 Mar 1994

Vol. 440 No. 8

Written Answers. - Speech Therapy Service.

Bernard Allen

Question:

83 Mr. Allen asked the Minister for Health if he has received a submission from the Southern Health Board regarding the inadequate speech therapy facilities in the Cork city area; if his attention has been drawn to the fact that this has brought about a situation where the service usually runs for six to eight weeks and then stops abruptly; if his attention has been further drawn to the case of a person (details supplied) in County Cork who was left without a speech therapy service between June and 20 November 1993, was brought back for speech therapy from 20 November to Christmas week and was not recalled for further therapy until 14 February 1994; his views on whether this service is adequate; the steps, if any, he will take in this matter; and if he will make a statement on the matter.

Minister for Health (Mr. Howlin)

The provision of speech therapy services is primarily a matter for the Southern Health Board. I am informed by the board that they are currently drawing up a development plan for speech therapy services in their area and are due to submit this plan in the near future.

I am concerned at the inadequacy of speech therapy services in certain areas of the country and I regard the expansion of such services as a priority. In 1993, almost £200,000 of the £1.5 million additional allocation for services for people with a physical disability was devoted to this service. Two additional speech therapy posts were approved for the Southern Health Board area in 1993. A further £1.5 million has been made available this year for services for people with a physical handicap and I expect that a proportion of this will be devoted to improving and expanding community-based therapy services, including speech therapy.

One of the reasons for the inadequacy of the speech therapy services is the lack of sufficient numbers of trained speech therapists. My Department has taken steps to remedy the situation by arranging for six extra training places to be provided at the School of Clinical Speech and Language Studies, Trinity College Dublin commencing in the 1992-93 academic year. The total student body will increase in phases from 80 students in 1992 to 104 students in 1995-96. The increased level of graduate output resulting from this important development should ease difficulties in the area of speech and language therapy in the medium to long term.

As regards the child referred to in the Deputy's question, I understand that her treatment resumed last month and is continuing. She is receiving two to three speech therapy sessions a week and is also attending the Brothers of Charity service one morning a week.