Caoimhghín Ó Caoláin (Cavan-Monaghan, Sinn Fein)

I tabled this question last week for a written response and I received almost exactly the same reply. I do not wish to begin on a feisty note but nowhere in the reply is reference made to speech and language therapy, even though this is the critical focus of my question. I ask the Minister of State to pass that on to those who assist in the preparation of these responses.

The Minister of State might take this opportunity to correct the remarks made by the Taoiseach on 14 May. He caused concern within the sector by suggesting that the shortage of speech and language therapists was caused by the requirement on new graduate therapists to undergo a one year period of supervised clinical practice. Does the Minister of State agree with the statement of the Irish Association of Speech and Language Therapists that the Taoiseach's comment was ill informed and does he accept that one year of supervised clinical practice is an internationally recognised best practice approach for all health professionals? Does he agree that the problem is not caused by the requirement on new graduates but by inadequate resourcing, insufficient posts to meet the demand for speech and language therapy and poor management by the HSE?

Does he acknowledge that the services are not properly co-ordinated? Implementation is required of the recommendation by the Irish Association of Speech and Language Therapists on a national working party. The Minister of State referred to the cross-sectoral team but the critical difference between that and the proposed working party is that the latter would directly involve service users, including children and their parents, and the Department of Education and Science and the HSE. That is clearly absent from the formula used in the replies given to the questions tabled today and last week.

I acknowledge and welcome the 300% increase that has been made to the number of training places for speech and language therapists. However, that will not work on its own if it is not matched by the development of critical posts. With the recent HSE cuts, we face the prospect of increasing numbers of trained therapists leaving the country while children are deprived of the therapy they desperately need. I ask the Minister of State and his departmental colleagues to ensure that the increased numbers of trained therapists are retained within the system and that posts are opened up. They are clearly required given that children need intervention as early in their lives as possible.

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