I raise the issue of a language unit for Roscommon because Roscommon is the only county in the Western Health Board area which does not have a language unit. There are language units in every county in the Midland Health Board and North-Eastern Health Board regions. County Westmeath has three units, County Meath has three and County Louth has two.
Approximately 70 children of school age in County Roscommon are known to have a specific language disorder, or dyspraxia. Some pre-school children also have these disorders. Many of these children are in mainstream schools and receive speech and language therapy in community service clinics. Most are seen approximately once a fortnight.
A number of children from the southern half of County Roscommon attend St. Mary's national school in Athlone. These children receive speech therapy through the language unit in the school, which is in the Midland Health Board area. The children have been told that the Midland Health Board will no longer provide this service because the board receives no funding from the Western Health Board. The Western Health Board is not prepared to provide the necessary funding and the children have been told that the service will not resume next September. These children are placed in an impossible position and their parents are now presented with a very big problem. I ask the Minister to ensure that funding is provided in the short-term so that this service can continue in St. Mary's national school in Athlone.
In the longer term, funding must be provided in the next 12 months to provide a proper language unit in County Roscommon. The geography of County Roscommon makes it imperative that two language units be provided, one for the southern half of the county and one for the northern half. We know of 70 children who require speech and language therapy and there may be others who are being catered for by other services. Children are receiving speech therapy in the language units in County Galway and County Mayo.
The lack of resources for speech therapy is creating a great problem in County Roscommon. The available therapists are required to travel unacceptable distances to various clinics and children suffer as a result. We need resources for an additional speech therapist. We need two language units and we must guarantee that a service will be provided for the children in St. Mary's national school, Athlone, in September next. Otherwise parents will be obliged to take their children out of school to attend speech and language therapy sessions elsewhere. Parents throughout the county are obliged to do this at present. The provision of a language centre in the county would allow children to receive therapy as part of their mainstream education.
Language units have been successful in many parts of the country. Roscommon is one of only three or four counties which do not have a language unit. It is unacceptable that children should be taken out of their own schools to receive speech and language therapy. I hope the Minister can clarify the position with regard to St. Mary's national school.