Seán Sherlock (Cork East, Labour) | Oireachtas source

I will ask a question. Again, it is about a response to a parliamentary question on 30 April where I asked about additional staff recruitment in CHO 4 since 2018. The reference number of the question was 20364/21. I was informed that there was one whole-time equivalent speech and language therapist for the Cope Foundation, one speech and language therapist for north Cork in St. Joseph’s Foundation, one occupational therapist for the South Lee Brothers of Charity, one occupational therapist for the Cope Foundation in north Lee, one occupational therapist for north Cork in St. Joseph's Foundation and one speech and language therapist in south Lee. I do not expect the Minister of State to internalise all of that, but I have given her the reference number of the parliamentary question and her staff will probably have regard to that. The point is that there has only been one of each type of therapist in each of the sectors in north Lee, north Cork, south Lee, north Cork, north Cork and south Lee. I refer to speech and language therapists and occupational therapists. It is never going to be enough to meet demand. Those are dismal figures in terms of the follow-on from the AONs and the need for access to the services. It is very hard to see how the Minister of State will be able to provide services to support people in each of those areas unless there is a serious effort in respect of recruitment. I put that information before the Minister of State.