Dáil Éireann debate -
Tuesday, 25 Feb 2003

Vol. 562 No. 1

Speech Therapy Service.

Mr. Gormley

I decided to raise this issue on the Adjournment following the latest reply from the Minister on the matter. It was, I am afraid, a typically off-hand and dismissive reply on a serious subject. At the very least, I expected the Minister to express regret at the course of events and to assure me that, as Minister for Health and Children, he would investigate the matter thoroughly. All I got was a prime example of buck passing. The Minister's staff know all about this case because I have spoken to them. Let me, nevertheless, refresh the Minister's memory.

I first raised this issue with the Minister on 27 March 2002 when I asked him why no speech therapist had been allocated to Ballinteer community school. The Minister referred my question to the chief executive officer of the Eastern Regional Health Authority. I received a letter dated 7 May 2002 from Louise McMahon, senior commissioner of the Eastern Regional Health Authority, informing me that the position of speech therapist in Ballinteer community school was offered to a successful candidate on 26 April 2002. This was good news and I immediately wrote to my constituent, Mr. Andrew O'Riordan, whose son, David, required a speech therapist, enclosing my parliamentary reply.

To my astonishment, I received a letter from my constituent dated 13 June 2002 informing me that no speech therapist had been appointed to Ballinteer community school. He wrote to me again on 13 September 2002 telling me there had been no improvement in the situation. I made a number of telephone calls to the Eastern Regional Health Authority and, in a letter dated 27 September 2002, Louise McMahon conceded that the information I had previously received was inaccurate. Apparently, a speech therapist had been appointed to Ballinteer health centre and not Ballinteer community school.

I do not know if the Minister has any idea of the deep frustration and anger parents feel when they encounter this level of incompetence. I wish to quote from a letter from Mr. O'Riordan in which he states:

I have read the correspondence received from Ms Louise McMahon, Senior Commissioner, Eastern Regional Health Authority and I am amazed to think that the person would write you a letter on May 7th 2002 advising you that the interviews for the position of Speech Therapist in Ballinteer Community School were held recently and that the position was offered to a successful candidate on April 26th 2002 and that it takes five months for that person to realise that the information given was incorrect.

He goes on to state:

I note that Ms McMahon in her letter to you, dated September 27th 2002 states that she hopes the position will improve in the near future. However, she does not seem to realise the damage that has been done to children like David with speech problems and she does not seem to realise that the lack of a Speech Therapist for months, let alone for years, is doing untold damage to David. Please note that Ballinteer Community School has been without a Speech Therapist since the end of October 2000 when Mrs Lucy O'Hagan ceased working there.

There has been no speech therapist since October 2000. Since that letter I have pursued this matter and I have been going from Billy to Jack. Where is the accountability? I was referred to Mr. Brian Redahan, assistant chief executive, by Louise McMahon. Mr. Redahan referred me to Mr. Martin Gallagher.

An Leas-Cheann Comhairle

It is not advisable for the Deputy to name people associated with this issue.

Mr. Gormley

This documentation has been published and I will explain why.

An Leas-Cheann Comhairle

These officials do not have the right to come into the House to defend themselves.

Mr. Gormley

I will respect your viewpoint, a Leas-Cheann Comhairle, but I was referred to them by the Minister. I am deeply frustrated, as are the parents. I respect your judgment and I will not name people. An internal report was published prior to Christmas regarding speech therapists, which I would like to see.

It is an indictment of society and the Government that a basic requirement such as speech therapy can become so neglected. It is a necessity, not a luxury. That it has become problematic is indicative of a skewed value system. Who and what do we value in our modern, sophisticated Ireland? We worship before the altar of the market and if we believe in the market, we should learn a basic lesson of supply and demand. If there is a problem with supply, speech therapists should be paid more and better conditions should be created. It is time to act on this. It is terrible that when a Member comes into the House he is given the run around.

Mr. Callely

The Deputy has raised a number of issues that have nothing to do with the House, such as typographical errors in letters and confusion between those who have statutory responsibility for the provision of services. He should take this case up with the relevant service providers and if he is not satisfied with the progress, I would be happy to assist him in that regard.

Mr. Gormley

I am not happy. That is why I raised the issue again in the House.

Mr. Callely

We will not be able to resolve the case raised by the Deputy in the House but I will clarify the position regarding the provision of health-related services to people with disabilities, particularly those within the Eastern Regional Health Authority. The East Coast Area Health Board has regional responsibility for speech and language therapy services in Ballinteeer community school. The board has recently completed a review of such services and the full report will be available shortly. The Department of Education and Science is also undertaking a similar review. Consideration of the issue of the provision of speech and language therapy services within the resources available will form part of that review. Decisions in this regard will affect Ballinteer community school.

The Deputy referred to the shortage of specialists in this area and he is right. I would like early intervention where speech and language therapy is required so that it is provided without delay. It was recognised a number of years ago that there was a need to increase the number of professional therapists and the Bacon report, published in July 2001, concluded that a major expansion was essential in the number of speech and language therapists, requiring a significant increase in training places to meet the long-term needs of the health service. The report, therefore, advocated an annual increase of 75 training places for speech and language therapy to achieve the fourfold increase in the number of speech and language therapists over the next decade recommended in the report.

On 29 May 2002 the former Minister for Education and Science, Deputy Woods, announced the provision of 175 extra professional therapy training places for students to tackle the acute shortage of physiotherapists, occupational therapists and speech and language therapists in the health service. This initiative almost doubles the number of therapy places available and it is expected that the first intake to the extra places for speech and language therapy will commence in the 2003-04 academic year. The political will to provide training places has been demonstrated.

Other key recommendations of the report include the provision of sufficient clinical placements within the health service through the establishment of a national network of clinical placement co-ordinators; the need for fast-track qualification and review of the existing training system; concerted recruitment from overseas; establishment of the planned system of statutory registration consistent with the requirement for a patient-centred health service; and an examination of career structures.

In addition to the Bacon report, the Department has asked the Eastern Regional Health Authority and health boards 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. The Northern Area Health Board has undertaken a concentrated overseas recruitment drive for various allied health professionals, including speech and language therapists, on behalf of all health boards. Procedures are being streamlined to minimise the length of time taken to validate foreign qualifications consistent with the over-arching need to ensure that all therapists working in the health sector are appropriately trained and qualified.

I hope that helps the Deputy in terms of political will and desire to ensure adequate numbers of speech and language and other therapists are provided where there are gaps in services, as has been recognised. We are doing our best.