Dáil Éireann díospóireacht -
Tuesday, 28 Apr 1998

Vol. 490 No. 2

Written Answers - Alternative Medicine.

Pat Carey

Ceist:

176 Mr. P. Carey asked the Minister for Health and Children if he will make a grant available to the Peto Institute in Budapest to enable it to train Irish people in techniques for conductive education similar to what has been done in Britain at the Birmingham Centre for Conductive Education; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [9831/98]

Pat Carey

Ceist:

177 Mr. P. Carey asked the Minister for Health and Children if he will make a grant available to the Peto Institute, Budapest, Hungary, to allow Irish patients who go for treatment there to have some of their medical costs recovered; the plans, if any, he has to recognise forms of alternative medicine; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [9832/98]

Minister for Health and Children (Mr. Cowen)

I propose to take Questions Nos. 176 and 177 together.

The Peto Institute and its offshoots provide a treatment regime called conductive education for children with conditions such as cerebral palsy. Treatment in this country for these conditions is normally provided by a multidisciplinary team and includes such elements as physiotherapy, speech therapy and occupational therapy. Conductive education is an alternative regime whereby a group of children work with a "conductor" who combines the roles of the therapist, teacher, nurse and care worker. Organisations providing services in this country for children with disabilities have evaluated the conductive education system and have incorporated in their own treatment regimes, those aspects of it which are considered helpful. On this basis, I do not propose to make funding available as proposed by the Deputy.

The policy of my Department is to develop services in this country to the highest standard and to provide them as close to the people who need them as possible. Recoupment of medical costs by a health board for treatment abroad will only be considered where the service is not available in this country and a medical consultant recommends that such treatment is necessary. I recognise the value of alternative medicine and therapies in the care of people with disabilities when used by trained professionals in the best interests of the client. I have no proposals to provide further recognition.