Vol. 417 No. 5
266 Mr. Taylor asked the Minister for Health if there are any proposals to increase the availability of speech therapy in Tallaght, Dublin 24, and if he will make a statement on the representations (details supplied) from Croí Ró-Naofa junior national school, Killinarden, Tallaght and on the matter in general.
There are 34 permanent speech therapy posts in the Eastern Health Board area. Five of these are currently vacant and the Eastern Health Board have made a number of unsuccessful attempts to fill them. At present the equivalent of 3.5 speech therapists are employed in the Tallaght area.
I am aware that there are difficulties about the level of speech therapy provision in certain areas of the country. I intend to establish a group to review the services for people with physical disabilities. The provision of speech therapy will be considered in that context.
