Dáil Éireann Debate, Thursday - 9 July 2015
68. Deputy Caoimhghín Ó Caoláin asked the Minister for Health the ratio of therapy providers in speech and language therapy, occupational therapy and physiotherapy to those with special needs in all regions; the numbers on waiting lists, which have led to parents being forced to access unaffordable private therapy; his plans to deal with this; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [27595/15]
View answerThe Government is committed to providing and developing services for children with special needs and to improving access by these children to health related therapy services.
Health related therapy supports and interventions for children, including speech and language therapy, occupational therapy and physiotherapy, can be accessed through both the HSE’s primary care services and its disability services, depending on the level of need. It is estimated that up to 95% of people’s health and social service needs can be met within a primary care setting and most children with a disability or developmental delay will have their needs met by their local primary care services. The specialist disability services look after children with more complex needs.
Additional funding of €20m was allocated in 2013 to strengthen primary care services and to support the recruitment of prioritised front-line primary care posts, such as speech and language therapists. In addition, the HSE has introduced a number of initiatives specifically in relation to speech and language therapy such as therapists increasing clinic based work instead of domiciliary work and providing family centred interventions in a group as opposed to a one-to-one setting, whenever possible.
The HSE is also engaged in a major reconfiguration of its existing therapy resources for children with disabilities, including autism, aged up to eighteen years, into geographically based specialist multi-disciplinary teams, as part of its National Programme on Progressing Disability Services for Children and Young People (0-18 years). The key objective of this Programme is to bring about equity of access to disability services and consistency of service delivery, with a clear pathway for children with disabilities and their families to services, regardless of where they live, what school they go to or the nature of the individual child’s difficulties.
The Programme is a key priority for the Executive’s Social Care Division in 2015. Additional funding of €4 million was specifically allocated in 2014 to drive implementation of the Programme equating to approximately 80 therapy posts. An additional €4m has been allocated to the Programme in 2015 (equating to €6m in a full year) to fund a further 120 posts.
It is anticipated that these measures, collectively, will significantly help reduce current waiting lists and ensure that services are delivered in a more equitable manner.
Within this context, I have asked the HSE to provide the Deputy with the detailed operational information he has requested.
