Additional funding amounting to approximately €16 million has been provided since 1998 for services to children with intellectual disability and those with autism. Children with physical or sensory disabilities would also have benefited from the additional funding provided for those services in recent years.
One of the major difficulties facing the health services in delivering support services to children and adults with disabilities is the shortage of certain professionals, such as speech and language therapists, occupational therapists, physiotherapists and psychologists. Significant progress has been achieved in boosting the number of therapy training places. Last year, the Minister for Education and Science and the Minister for Health and Children announced 150 additional therapy training places in speech and language therapy and occupational therapy.
There has also been a concerted overseas recruitment drive on behalf of all health boards, the introduction of a fast track working visa scheme for health and social care professionals and the streamlining of procedures for the validation of overseas qualifications. The success of these measures is reflected in the increases in the numbers of speech and language therapists and occupational therapists employed in the public health service over the three year period to end of 2002, with a 73% increase in occupational therapists and a 33% increase in speech and language therapists. While there has been significant progress in enhancing the health related support services available to children with special needs, there is a need for a continued programme of investment in this area.
Responsibility for the provision of services in the eastern region is a matter, in the first instance, for the Eastern Regional Health Authority. My Department has, therefore, asked the regional chief executive of the authority to investigate the matter raised by the Deputy and reply directly to him.
