Primary Care Services Provision

Dáil Éireann Debate, Wednesday - 12 March 2014

Wednesday, 12 March 2014

Questions (196, 198)

Colm Keaveney

Question:

196. Deputy Colm Keaveney asked the Minister for Health if he will provide further details on the Health Service Executive initiative of providing speech, language and psychology interventions in group workshops to parents of children with special needs rather than providing these supports directly to the children; the savings generated through this initiative in each of the four HSE areas; the number of parents who have been removed from the waiting list for these therapies as a result of their being unable to attend a group workshop in each of the four HSE areas; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [12261/14]

Colm Keaveney

Question:

198. Deputy Colm Keaveney asked the Minister for Health if he will provide further detail on the criteria used to assign priority status to children with disabilities in relation to psychology, occupational therapy, physiotherapy and speech and language supports; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [12265/14]

Written answers

Minister of State at the Department of Health

I propose to take Questions Nos. 196 and 198 together.

Health related therapy supports and interventions for children can be accessed through both the Health Service Executive’s primary care services and its disability services. The National Service Plan 2013 provided for additional funding of €20m to strengthen primary care services. This comprises over €18.5m for the recruitment of over 260 primary care team posts and over €1.4m to support community intervention team development.

In terms of disability services, therapy services for children are currently being reconfigured into geographically-based multidisciplinary teams, as part of the HSE’s Progressing Disability Services for Children and Young People (0-18years) Programme. The objective of this Programme is to achieve a national, unified approach to delivering disability health services so that there is a clear pathway to services for all children, regardless of where they live, what school they go to or the nature of their disability. The National Service Plan 2014 provides for targeted investment of €4m for the roll-out of this Programme which equates to 80 additional therapy posts.

I have asked the HSE to reply directly to the Deputy in respect of the specific operational matters he has raised.