Olwyn Enright
Question:301 Ms Enright asked the Minister for Health and Children the way in which he intends to ensure that there are an adequate number of trained therapists to deal with autism nationally. [19246/02]
Vol. 555 No. 5
301 Ms Enright asked the Minister for Health and Children the way in which he intends to ensure that there are an adequate number of trained therapists to deal with autism nationally. [19246/02]
Additional funding has been made available annually in recent years to the health boards in respect of the provision of health related support services for persons with autism and those with an intellectual disability. In particular, €14.6 million has been invested in health related support services for children with autism or intellectual disability nationally since 1998. In addition to this ring-fenced funding, children with disabilities have benefited from the additional therapy posts which have been put in place in services for persons with physical or sensory disabilities. However, 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 continue to undertake intensive recruitment drives at home and abroad. My Department has 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 enhancement in line with agreed services developments for children using the resources allocated to the services. It is a matter for the Eastern Regional Health Authority and the health boards to decide on the specific approaches which they may consider appropriate in this area.
302 Ms Enright asked the Minister for Health and Children the way in which he intends to ensure that the Midland Health Board's childhood autism team has an adequate number of properly trained therapists. [19247/02]
303 Ms Enright asked the Minister for Health and Children if funding will be made available to the Midland Health Board to provide proper facilities and buildings to operate the childhood autism service. [19248/02]
I propose to take Questions Nos. 302 and 303 together.
304 Ms Enright asked the Minister for Health and Children the plans he is putting in place to deal with the projected growth in the prevalence of autistic spectrum disorder. [19249/02]
Significant additional funding was provided by the Government in recent years for services to persons with autism and those with an intellectual disability. This investment facilitated the development of a range of services including residential, respite, day and home support services, health related support services for children and specialist support services. Further additional revenue funding of €25 million was provided in 2002 to continue the expansion of these services.
My Department is working with the health boards to improve the level of information available on the needs of this group, including the development of an information system which will provide specific information on the needs of persons with autism, similar to that provided by the national intellectual disability database. I assure the Deputy that the Government is committed to the ongoing development of services as outlined in the programme for Government.