Jimmy Devins (Sligo-North Leitrim, Fianna Fail)

The Health Service Executive, which has statutory responsibility for the provision of services to individuals, states that it recognises that waiting lists exist for many services. It is a reality that these lists are managed in different ways by different services. Therapies divide their waiting lists into priority categories so that immediate need is first dealt with, followed by urgent need, and finally all other needs. Some therapies further divide their waiting lists into assessment and treatment.

The management of waiting lists is an issue for the HSE to address. Nevertheless, my Department is concerned about the lack of consistency in how waiting lists are managed as, in addition, each voluntary agency holds their own waiting list so it is very difficult to get a clear picture of waiting lists for services. However, I understand that in relation to therapy services, clinicians manage and review these lists regularly.

In the period 2005 to 2007, the Department provided funding to the HSE for the employment of multi-disciplinary supports and other staff in the context of the implementation of the Disability and Education for Persons with Special Educational Needs Acts. A total of 446 posts were approved in the areas of speech and language therapy, occupational therapy, psychology, physiotherapy and social work between the HSE and voluntary service providers. The HSE states that the majority of these posts were identified as required to provide the assessments and ongoing service interventions arising from the commencement of the Disability Act.

It continues to be a challenge to fill these important posts, which inevitably contributes to the development of waiting lists. The HSE has advised the Department that it is currently finalising plans for a co-ordinated recruitment process in each region, in addition to recruitment abroad for senior therapists over the next number of months, to fill the remaining posts. The filling of these key posts will help to address the waiting lists of the kind raised by the Deputy.

I understand the HSE has explained the situation in relation to the individual case raised by the Deputy and that it will continue to do all it can to provide services to those assessed as in need of them.

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