Pat Deering (Carlow-Kilkenny, Fine Gael) | Oireachtas source

I thank the Minister of State for his comprehensive reply. I do not want to be negative because I am well aware of the excellent facilities that we have in Carlow. Even though we do not have a major hospital in Carlow, we do have great facilities which myself and my late father have used in recent times. The district hospital is a great step-down facility which takes a lot of pressure off the hospital in Kilkenny and the same is true of the Sacred Heart Hospital.

The Minister of State pointed out that 2,000 X-rays were provided in Carlow last year, which is a very large number. If those 2,000 X-rays had to be carried out in Kilkenny, that would put an awful lot of pressure on the facilities there and would clog up the system, which we do not want to see. I am glad the Minister of State has given a commitment that the filling of the post will be fast tracked and that a radiographer will be in position in the very near future to handle potentially another 2,000 cases this year. Otherwise, we will see a situation where queues will develop in Kilkenny, putting extra pressure on those facilities.

Occupational therapy and paediatric physiotherapy are very important for children with disabilities, as I said earlier. It is essential that such children can access these services when they require them so that they will not be at a disadvantage for the future. I have personal experience in this regard and know that if children do not have these services early in their lives, they will find it very difficult to catch up later on. Again, I ask the Minister of State to ensure that these positions are put in place in the very near future to ensure these children will have the same opportunities as everybody else.

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