Jan O'Sullivan (Limerick East, Labour)

I congratulate the Minister of State on his new position.

I support Deputy Ó Caoláin's comments regarding the need to establish this group. I am also concerned about the Taoiseach's claim that one year of supervision was somehow holding up the provision of services to people who need speech and language therapy when that is in fact the international norm for ensuring new therapists are clinically safe. The record needs to be corrected by somebody in Government.

Does the Minister of State consider it acceptable that children have to wait up to two years to receive the speech and language therapy they need at a crucial stage in their lives? What will be done about that situation? Due to embargoes and posts going unfilled despite the availability of trained graduates, that is the reality on the ground.

I understand that disability services in certain parts of the country have not yet been given their budgets for 2008. Can the Minister of State clarify that?

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