Vol. 545 No. 4
226 Mr. Roche asked the Minister for Health and Children the funding provided in relation to the special centre for autism at St. Joseph's School, Newtownmountkennedy, County Wicklow, from its inception in 1998 to date in 2001, with reference to a number of areas (details supplied). [30494/01]
Responsibility for the funding of health related support services for children with autism in County Wicklow rests with the Eastern Regional Health Authority. My Department has therefore asked the chief executive officer to investigate the matter raised by the Deputy and reply to him directly.
227 Mr. Roche asked the Minister for Health and Children the level of funding allocated to the relevant health boards or to another agency intended for the support of the services provided by the special centre for autism at St. Joseph's School, Newtownmountkennedy, County Wicklow, from its inception in 1998 to date in 2001 (details supplied). [30495/01]
Responsibility for the funding of health related support services for children with autism in County Wicklow rests with the Eastern Regional Health Authority. My Department has therefore asked the chief executive officer to investigate the matter raised by the Deputy and reply to him directly.
228 Mr. Roche asked the Minister for Health and Children if his attention has been drawn to the decision to close the Lucan autistic unit due to the virtually non-existent outreach support service reaching the unit from the health board and the deep concern this has caused to parents; and if, in view of difficulties being experienced by other units, he will consider introducing a system of direct funding by his Department of schools providing services to autistic children as a means of speeding up the delivery of funds to such schools and eliminating the levels of bureaucracy which exist in this area under the present arrangements. [30496/01]
I am aware of the decision taken by the school in question to close the special classes for children with autism. Many health boards and specialist service providers have been experiencing difficulties in recruiting allied health professionals and specifically speech and language therapists, occupational therapists, physiotherapists and psychologists. This is due primarily to the general shortage of available staff in these grades nationally. Health boards and agencies have been and are continuing to undertake intensive recruitment drives at home and abroad. The Deputy will be aware from previous information given to this House of the short, medium and longer term measures which I and my colleagues in Government are taking to address this issue. My Department has also asked the health boards and the Eastern Regional Health Authority to explore other approaches which might result in the maintenance of an existing level of service provision or an enhancement in line with agreed service developments using the resources allocated to the services. It is a matter for each board and the authority to decide on the measures which it might take in this matter.
