Dáil Éireann díospóireacht -
Thursday, 30 Sep 1999

Vol. 508 No. 2

Written Answers. - Speech Therapy Service.

Austin Deasy

Ceist:

60 Mr. Deasy asked the Minister for Health and Children his views on the fact that it can take up to three years for primary children in County Waterford to receive speech therapy; the emergency plans, if any, he has to provide finance to improve the situation in view of the fact the South-Eastern Health Board does not have the necessary funds to provide the quality of service required; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [18192/99]

Minister for Health and Children (Mr. Cowen)

The provision of speech and language therapy services is a matter for the relevant health board. I understand that there are currently 31 full-time speech and language therapists employed in community care in the South-Eastern Health Board and, of these, seven are providing speech and language therapy services in the Waterford area.

The recruitment of additional paramedical staff, including speech and language therapists, for services for people with disabilities is a matter for the health board in consultation with its regional co-ordinating committee for physical and sensory disability services in line with the identified priorities for service developments in its functional area.

This year, a total of £3 million – with a full year cost of £6 million in the year 2000 – was provided for the health boards for the development of services in their functional area. From this funding, a sum of £300,000 – with a full year cost of £600,000 – was provided for the South-Eastern Health Board to allocate, in consultation with its co-ordinating committee, on agreed priority developments for people with physical and sensory disabilities. The South-Eastern Health Board, in consultation with its co-ordinating committee for physical and sensory disability services, is in the process of finalising allocations for development funding.

I would point out that the recruitment of paramedical staff generally is presenting problems throughout the health board regions. Following a Labour Court recommendation in 1997, an expert group was established to examine and report on various issues relating to paramedical grades, including speech and language therapists. Among the issues to be examined by this group are the problems which arise in relation to the recruitment and the retention of various paramedical grades. It is expected that the expert group will issue its report before the end of the year.