Vol. 536 No. 3
188 Mr. G. Mitchell asked the Minister for Health and Children if, further to Parliamentary Question No. 176 of 8 May 2001, he will make a statement on the concerns of a person (details supplied) in Dublin 7 regarding the audiology service. [14203/01]
The provision of health related support services, including speech and language therapy, for people with physical and sensory disabilities is a matter for the Eastern Regional Health Authority and the health boards in the first instance. There are waiting lists caused by staff shortages in the occupational therapy and speech and language therapy grades within the public health service. To address these shortages my Department engaged Dr. Peter Bacon and Associates to undertake a work force planning study to report on the prospective supply and demand for a number of therapy grades, including occupational therapists and speech and language therapists. The study is expected to be published shortly. Once the study has been published, my Department will be discussing, with the Department of Education and Science and the Higher Education Authority, the number of additional student places required.
ENT is one of the specialities identified by my Department for targeted funding under the waiting list initiative. Waiting list figures for ENT procedures, as reported to the Department by health agencies, show a reduction of 24% in the numbers waiting for the period December 1999 to December 2000. This year £34.5 million is being made available to health agencies to continue to tackle public hospital waiting lists.
