Vol. 433 No. 6
122 Mr. Callely asked the Minister for Health the number of speech therapists available to primary schools in the Dublin area; the average waiting period for a child who has been identified as requiring the services of a speech therapist; and if he will make a statement on the matter.
The provision of speech therapy services in the Dublin area is a matter for the Eastern Health Board. The board employs the equivalent of approximately 40 whole time speech therapists in its community care services and a substantial proportion of their time is devoted to young children, including those attending primary school. It is not possible to determine an average waiting time for speech therapy services as waiting times vary depending on the priority afforded to the different speech and language disorders and on the levels of demand in particular Community Care Areas.
