Marie Sherlock (Dublin Central, Labour)

I am not a member of this committee but take a very serious interest in the matters being discussed here today. I apologise if the questions I ask have already been answered but I have literally come from a meeting of the health committee. We heard from the Minister for Health today that there is going to be a new special initiative taken to try to work through the waiting lists for speech and language therapy, occupational therapy and physiotherapy in the health service. Specifically with regard to speech and language therapy, the Minister wants to reduce the waiting list to ten months or less. What information, if any, have our guests been given on this special initiative?

I also want to move to the suppressed posts part of the conversation. There is an awful lot of talk about vacant posts but there is also the situation, as referred to by Ms Lawlor, of suppressed posts. I ask them out outline in more detail the experience around the country in that regard. Have they mapped out the number of suppressed posts across the sector? If so, it would be useful to hear more.