Dáil Éireann Debate, Wednesday - 4 June 2008
192 Deputy Jack Wall asked the Minister for Health and Children the number of behavioural therapists employed by her Department in the Kildare west Wicklow area and the Carlow/Kilkenny area; the mechanism available to a parent to obtain an appointment with such therapists; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [22088/08]
Amharc ar fhreagra234 Deputy Jack Wall asked the Minister for Health and Children the number of behavioural therapists employed by the Health Service Executive in the Kildare west Wicklow area; the mechanism or arrangement that a parent has to use to obtain an appointment with such a therapist; the number of therapists seconded to her Department; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [22089/08]
Amharc ar fhreagraI propose to take Question Nos. 192 and 234 together.
Almost 130,000 people work full-time or part-time in our public health services. In recent years, the Government's ongoing high level of investment in health has achieved and maintained significant increases in the numbers of doctors, nurses and other healthcare professionals employed in the public health services. The Government has also invested heavily in the education and training of such personnel in order to secure a good supply of graduates to provide for the healthcare needs of the population into the future.
Subject to overall parameters set by Government, the Health Service Executive has the responsibility for determining the composition of its staffing complement. In that regard, it is a matter for the Executive to manage and deploy its human resources to best meet the requirements of its Annual Service Plan for the delivery of health and personal social services to the public. The Executive is the appropriate body to consider the matter raised by the Deputy. My Department has requested the Parliamentary Affairs Division of the Executive to arrange to have the matter investigated and to have a reply issued directly to the Deputy.
There are no behavioural therapists seconded to the Department.
