Dáil Éireann debate -
Tuesday, 3 Apr 2001

Vol. 533 No. 6

Written Answers. - Special Educational Needs.

Brian O'Shea

Question:

215 Mr. O'Shea asked the Minister for Health and Children the proposals he has to meet the concerns of the parents support group of St. Joseph's special education school, Parnell Street, Waterford, in relation to the lack of speech and language therapy at the school; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [9453/01]

Minister for Health and Children (Mr. Martin):

As the provision of services to persons with an intellectual disability in the Waterford region is the responsibility of the South Eastern Health Board in the first instance, I have forwarded the Deputy's inquiry to the chief executive officer of the board for attention and direct reply to you.

While significant additional resources have been made available to the health boards in recent years to enhance the level of health related support services available to children with disabilities, the boards and other service providers have been encountering difficulties in both recruiting and retaining the allied health professionals necessary to deliver the various therapy services.

In acknowledgement of these difficulties, my Department has asked the authority and the health boards to explore other possibilities with a view to facilitating as many children as possible to access the necessary support services. This might include the purchase of additional sessions which may result in either the maintenance of the existing levels of service provision or an enhancement in line with agreed service developments, using the resources which have been allocated for these services. It is a matter, however, for each health board and the Eastern Regional Health Authority to determine what additional measures the service in their region might undertake to facilitate this access.

My Department has also engaged Dr Peter Bacon and Associates to undertake a workforce planning study to report on the prospective supply and demand for a number of therapy grades, including speech and language therapists, and I am expecting its final report shortly. Another measure which has been taken to assist parents in this area is section 8 of the Finance Act 2001 which amends section 469 of the Taxes Consolidation Act, 1997 to extend tax relief for medical expenses to cover the cost of educational psychological assessment and speech and language therapy services for children.