Enda Kenny
Question:178 Mr. E. Kenny asked the Minister for Health if speech therapy will be made available at the nearest clinic for a person (details supplied) in County Mayo; and if he will make a statement on the matter.
Written Answers. - Speech Therapy Applicant.
The provision of speech therapy services in County Mayo is a matter in the first instance for the Western Health Board. Speech therapy services for children with a mental handicap in the Mayo area are provided by the Western Care Association on behalf of the board.
The post of speech therapist with the Western Care Association has recently been advertised and, when the successful candidate is appointed, speech therapy services for people with a mental handicap in County Mayo will be reviewed. It is expected that once this appointment is made, significant inroads will be made into the existing waiting lists.
One of the main difficulties in providing for an adequate speech therapy service 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 1995-1996. The increased level of graduate output resulting from this important development should ease difficulties in the area of speech and language therapy.