Dáil Éireann Debate, Thursday - 9 December 2004
114 Mr. Wall asked the Tánaiste and Minister for Health and Children the position of a person seeking an early appointment for an eye operation in view of the serious problems that the person is encountering at present; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [32824/04]
View answerResponsibility for the provision of health services to persons residing in Counties Dublin, Kildare and Wicklow rests with 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 to reply to him directly.
115 Mr. Stanton asked the Tánaiste and Minister for Health and Children, further to Parliamentary Question No. 196 dated 23 November 2004, if she is satisfied that the plans of the South Eastern Health Board to build a special needs residential unit on the hockey pitch at St. Dymphna’s Hospital in Carlow are in line with the policy of her Department as outlined in her reply; if her attention has been drawn to or has she had representation on, the issue; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [32825/04]
View answerIt is the policy of my Department to transfer persons with an intellectual disability or autism from psychiatric hospitals and other inappropriate placements to more appropriate care settings and to provide enhanced levels of service for persons with an intellectual disability and those with autism accommodated in psychiatric hospitals, for those accommodated in de-designated units which were formerly designated as psychiatric services as well as others who moved some years ago from psychiatric hospitals to alternative accommodation which is now unsuitable for their needs.
Responsibility for the provision of services to persons with an intellectual disability and those with autism in the Carlow area lies, in the first instance, with the South Eastern Health Board. My Department has, therefore, asked the CEO to investigate the matter raised by the Deputy and reply directly to him.
116 Mr. F. McGrath asked the Tánaiste and Minister for Health and Children if she will give the number of speech therapists serving in the north side of Dublin and any plans for developing the services further in 2005. [32857/04]
View answerThe provision of health related services, including speech and language therapy, for people with physical or sensory disabilities is a matter for the Eastern Regional Health Authority and the health boards in the first instance. Accordingly, the Deputy's question has been referred to the regional chief executive of the Eastern Regional Health Authority with a request that he examine the matter and reply directly to the Deputy.
The continued implementation of the pay recommendations of the public service benchmarking body, as well as the report of the expert group on various health professions which included new pay scales and career structures, the availability of the fast track working visa scheme and the streamlining of procedures for the validation of overseas qualifications are designed to help sustain the improvements in staffing levels achieved for speech and language therapy services. Three new speech and language therapy courses began in the 2003-04 academic year in UCC, NUIG and UL. In total, these courses will provide an additional 75 training places in speech and language therapy. This expansion in training numbers was identified in the Bacon report as necessary to meet the long-term demand-supply balance for speech and language therapists in Ireland.
117 Mr. Stanton asked the Tánaiste and Minister for Health and Children the further progress that has been made in extending Southdoc, the primary care out of hours service, into the remaining rural areas of north and east Cork; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [32858/04]
View answerSubmissions on the expansion of the out of hours co-operatives have been received by my Department from health boards including the SHB. It is hoped that allocations under this heading will be made in the very near future.
Decisions on the expansion of an out of hours co-operative, including the locations to be covered and the timing of any such developments, are matters for the relevant CEO to make, mindful of the range of service provision requirements and funding issues involved.
