Limerick East): The provision of speech and language therapy service in the County Louth area is a matter for the North-Eastern Health Board.
As I have informed the House on previous occasions, the service has improved in recent years. Health boards, including the North-Eastern Health Board, have viewed its development as a priority with the recruitment of 28 additional therapists in the last three years. Notwithstanding these improvements, it is clear the service requires further development. This issue will be given careful consideration in the context of the report of the Review Group on Services for People with Physical and Sensory Disabilities which has examined speech and language therapy services in its review of health services generally for people with disabilities.