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Dáil Éireann debate -
Wednesday, 29 Jan 2003

Vol. 560 No. 1

Written Answers. - Autism Services.

Finian McGrath

Question:

627 Mr. F. McGrath asked the Minister for Health and Children his views on correspondence (details supplied) regarding a query on autism spectrum disorder; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [1123/03]

Additional funding of €13.3 million has been allocated to services for persons with an intellectual disability or autism in 2003 to meet the full year cost of the 2002 developments and to further enhance the health related support services to children with an intellectual disability or autism. This funding is in addition to the very significant revenue investment, amounting to €188 million, which has been made in these services since 1997 and which is built into the ongoing budget base.

The additional funding provided by this and the previous Government between 2000 and 2002 was used to put in place, in addition to a range of other services, more than 900 new residential, 380 new respite and around 2,000 new day places for people with an intellectual disability and those with autism.

In particular €14.6 million has been invested in health related support services for children with autism or intellectual disability nationally between 1998 and 2002. A further €4 million has been allocated to these services in 2003. This includes diagnostic and assessment services, early intervention, home support and outreach support to children of schoolgoing age. In addition to this ringfenced funding, children with disabilities would also 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 have been and are continuing 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.

In response to my concern regarding the high level of vacancies my Department commissioned a report from Dr. Peter Bacon and Associates on current and future supply and demand conditions in the labour market for speech and language therapists, occupational therapists and physiotherapists. The study was published in July 2001. The report recommends a major expansion in the number of training places available for those professions.

An interagency working group was established comprising representatives of my Department, the Department of Education and Science and the Higher Education Authority (HEA). The HEA, following a formal bidding process between third level educational institutions, has allocated an additional 175 training places to respond to the training needs identified in the study. In addition the Northern Area Health Board undertook a concerted overseas recruitment drive on behalf of all health boards. Procedures are being streamlined to minimise the length of time taken to validate foreign qualifications consistent with the overreaching need to ensure that all therapists working in the health sector are appropriately trained and qualified.
As the Deputy can see from the measures outlined, the Government has been and is continuing to work to expand the level of support available nationally to children with autism or intellectual disability.
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