James Reilly (Dublin North, Fine Gael) | Oireachtas source

I thank the Deputy for raising this matter. The Government is committed to protecting front-line services, including services for children with disabilities and autism, to the greatest possible extent by seeking to maximise the provision of services within available resources. Beechpark is a regional HSE service which provides clinical supports for children with a specific diagnosis of autistic spectrum disorder up to 18 years of age who attend designated special schools, outreach preschools and outreach classes in Dublin, Kildare and Wicklow. The service has to operate within the financial and other parameters applying.

Importantly, the Beechpark service is working with local implementation groups to progress disability services for children and young people across the HSE's Dublin north-east and Dublin-mid-Leinster areas to focus on the current service model and service delivery structure provided by all service providers in the area with a view to addressing the realignment of resources in the context of the report of the national reference group, the national review of autism services report and the progressing disability services programme. This issue is also being examined by the Dublin Beechpark service review group.

Specifically on the issue of speech and language therapy services, the HSE aims to ensure the resources available are used to best effect in order to provide an assessment and ongoing therapy for children and adults in line with their prioritised needs. With the significant investment in the area of speech and language therapists employed in recent years, a range of new approaches has been developed and is used in many speech and language therapy services across the country. These include providing structures, training and support for parents and carers in order that they can work to help to improve the individual's speech and language. In addition, therapy is delivered in group settings, where appropriate.

These changes to speech and language therapy services aim to ensure services are provided based on the level of need in an equitable manner and in line with evidenced-based practice. It also facilitates access to services where vacancies arise having regard to the employment control parameters which apply. In that context, the Beechpark speech and language therapy service in north Dublin has been moved to a rotation system in the school-based model in an attempt to meet the needs of children across the entire service. The speech and language therapy service is due to rotate schools in April. The individual needs of the children will be kept under review. The speech and language therapist service will also continue to be available on a consultation basis for ongoing programmes.

While the current economic position presents challenges in how best to maximise the provision of services with available resources, I am committed to protecting front-line services, including children's disability and autism services to the greatest extent possible. I am less than happy with this situation or the level of service delivered. I am acutely aware of schools which do not have a service, even though they have special needs assistants. I have asked for a review in the Department. Today I spoke to Mr. Tony O'Brien, the HSE director general designate, about how staff were rotated and how the public sector recruitment moratorium impacted on front-line staff, especially therapists. For parents of a child with autism, each week without a service is a serious concern as the opportunity for the child to reach his or her full potential is compromised.

The position in the Beechpark service is unacceptable and I will take up the matter with the Minister of State responsible, Deputy Kathleen Lynch. I have always agreed with her approach that the service must be in place to ensure early diagnosis. Equally, once a diagnosis is made, the more specialist services required must be made available. I know the Minister of State will not be one bit happy about this either. I will revert to the Deputy on the matter.

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