Speech and Language Therapy

Dáil Éireann Debate, Tuesday - 6 October 2020

Tuesday, 6 October 2020

Questions (682)

Mattie McGrath

Question:

682. Deputy Mattie McGrath asked the Minister for Health the number of children waiting for speech and therapy appointments in County Tipperary; if full speech and therapy services have resumed in the county; if there is a full complement of speech and language therapists working the county; if not, if there are vacancies waiting to be filled; if speech and language therapists have been redeployed to other areas since the start of the Covid-19 pandemic; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [28396/20]

Written answers

Minister of State at the Department of Health

The Programme for Government, Our Shared Future, recognises the need to improve services for both children and adults with disabilities through better implementation and by working together across Government in a better way.

The Government commits to prioritising early diagnosis and access to services for children and ensuring that the most effective interventions are provided for each child, to guarantee the best outcomes.

As this is a service matter, I have asked the Health Service Executive to respond to the deputy directly.