Vol. 525 No. 1
128 Ms Shortall asked the Minister for Health and Children if he will outline all measures his Department have taken to replace the speech and language therapist which has been lost by St. Joseph's School for Deaf Boys, Cabra, Dublin 7; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [23755/00]
In the first instance, it is a matter for the Eastern Regional Health Authority and the health boards, in consultation with their regional co-ordinating committees for physical and sensory disabilities, to decide on priority services for development in their functional area.
The Northern area health board commenced a speech and language therapy service to St Joseph's School for Deaf Boys, Cabra, in November 1995, initially on a part-time basis, to specifically meet the needs and provide an intensive treatment programme for boys who had received cochlear implants.
129 Mr. Neville asked the Minister for Health and Children when a vacant post for a community care person with responsibility for provision of speech and language therapist in the west Limerick area, vacant since April 2000, will be filled. [23712/00]
The provision of health related support services, including speech and language therapy, to per sons with physical or sensory disabilities is the responsibility of the relevant health board. Accordingly, the Deputy's question has been referred to the chief executive officer of the Mid-Western Health Board, with a request that he examine the matter and reply directly to the Deputy, as a matter of urgency.
The recruitment of allied health professional staff generally is presenting problems throughout the health board regions and it is clear that the demand for the three therapy grades, occupational therapy, physiotherapy and speech and language therapy needs to be reviewed. Following a Labour Court recommendation in 1997 an expert group was established to examine and report on various issues relating to the allied health professional grades, including speech and language therapists. Among the issues examined by this group were the problems which arise in relation to the recruitment and the retention of various grades. The expert group submitted its final report in April 2000 and I am implementing in full the recommendations of this report at a cost of £10 million. Among its recommendations was the urgent commissioning of a workforce planning study for the three therapy grades, that is, occupational therapy, physiotherapy and speech and language therapy. The terms of reference for the workforce planning study for the three therapy professions have been agreed and the study commissioned. This study will report by the end of this year. In the context of this report, a large expansion in the area of training for these therapists, in both the numbers of graduates produced and the number of training colleges established, will be examined in partnership with the education authorities.
I am also very pleased to announce that, in co-operation with my colleague the Minister for Education and Science, Dr. Woods, I have secured a total of 52 extra places for the training of physiotherapists, five additional places for the training of occupational therapists and three in the area of speech and language therapy, all available from October 2000.
The Higher Education Authority is also establishing a group comprised of representatives from each of the three physiotherapy schools to investigate the establishment of a fast-track physiotherapy programme to begin in each school from October 2001. The first graduates from these programmes should be available in 2003.
The possibility of establishing a similar course for occupational therapy and speech and language therapy will also be investigated.
