Dáil Éireann debate -
Wednesday, 29 Nov 2000

Vol. 527 No. 1

Written Answers. - Speech Therapy Service.

John McGuinness

Question:

94 Mr. McGuinness asked the Minister for Health and Children the reason professional speech therapy is not being offered to a person (details supplied) in County Kilkenny who is autistic and attends the School of the Holy Spirit, Kilkenny city; the reason a speech therapist is not allocated to the school for more than three hours every second Friday as is the case presently in view of the demand for the service in the school and the fact that the present arrangement is inadequate for the 70 children who attend the school. [27885/00]

Minister for Health and Children (Mr. Martin)

The provision of health related support services to children with an intellectual disability and those with autism in the Kilkenny region is the responsibility of the South Eastern Health Board in the first instance.

The board has informed me that its speech and language therapy services are under staffed by 50%. Four therapists have left the services since June 1999. New posts have also been created and it has not yet been possible to fill these with the result that there are currently a number of vacant posts. One new member of staff was recruited in October 2000 as a result of a college sponsorship programme.

The board is continuing to pursue this avenue of recruitment. The board has expressed its regret that many categories of clients cannot access the desired level of service due to this situation, but has assured me that these difficulties are not the result of a lack of commitment to the filling of these posts.

My Department, while acknowledging the various initiatives which have been and continue to be undertaken to recruit various categories of staff, has asked the health boards-Eastern Regional Health Authority to explore all measures to ensure that as many children as possible have access to the therapy services. I am also working with the Department of Education and Science and the Higher Education Authority to increase the number of training places available for the various allied health professionals, including speech and language therapists as quickly as possible.

With reference to the services for the individual concerned, I have forwarded your inquiry to the chief executive officer of the board and have asked him to reply directly to the Deputy. I have also asked him to let me know of any developments in this matter in relation to both this individual and the service to the school.