Courtenay boys school has about 200 children with a speech and language therapy class of seven children and the special school has 30 children. The special school caters for children from west Limerick from a distance of up to 20 miles. These children range in age from five to 13 and have a wide range of disabilities, including autism and Down's syndrome. The special school had a speech and language therapist for one day a week until last Easter. The speech and language therapist was promoted to the speech and language therapy post for the speech and language class and now the special school is deprived of its speech and language therapist.
The school principal has applied for an increase in the service given that she felt one day a week did not address the individual and group needs of the children, some of whom need an intensive approach. There is now no session for these children who urgently need speech and language therapy. The parents and teachers of the school are anxious that the speech and language therapy service be resumed immediately.
The Mid-Western Health Board has been unsuccessful in recruiting a therapist. The board has advertised but so far has been unsuccessful. A small number of therapists graduate each year from Trinity College. Some go on to further study in clinical training before joining the workforce. Surely the chronic shortage of speech and language therapists is recognised. It should be possible to advertise vacant positions in the United Kingdom, the United States and Canada as an interim measure, and increase the number of places for speech and language therapists until such time as we increase the number of speech and language therapy students at Trinity College.
I hope the Minister will give a positive response and not excuses in his reply. In this time of economic buoyancy it is immoral to deprive the children who urgently need a speech and language therapy service.