Dáil Éireann Debate, Thursday - 5 February 2004
110 Mr. Naughten asked the Minister for Health and Children when his Department received a request from the Western Health Board for additional resources to fund its adult audiology services in County Roscommon; the specific funding allocated by his Department to provide this service; the discussions his Department has held with the Western Health Board regarding this issue; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [3501/04]
View answerAs the Deputy is aware, the provision of community audiology services is a matter for the health boards or authority in the first instance. The provision of services, including community audiology services, forms part of the discussion between my Department and the health boards or authority in relation to their service plans.
Since 2000 my Department has provided additional ongoing funding of more than €2 million to the health boards or authority for a range of developments in the community audiology service. My Department has no record of any recent request from the Western Health Board for additional community audiology resources for adults in County Roscommon. However, as the provision of community audiology services in County Roscommon is a matter in the first instance for the Western Health Board, my Department has asked the chief executive officer to write directly to the Deputy regarding the community audiology service there.
