Enda Kenny (Mayo, Fine Gael) | Oireachtas source

The Deputy will be aware of the very close collaboration between the health and education sectors on children's disabilities in general. This is facilitated by the cross-sectoral team on the implementation of the Disability Act comprised of representatives of the Departments of Health, Education and Skills and Children and Youth Affairs, the Health Service Executive, the National Council for Special Education, NCSE, and the National Educational Psychological Service, NEPS, which has been established to progress specific cases.

The full implementation of the progressing disability services programme is expected before the end of 2017. A total of €8 million in additional funding was invested in 2014-15 to fund 200 additional posts to deal with the backlog to which the Deputy referred. A further €4 million in additional funding was provided for 75 therapy posts in 2016. It is expected that the reconfiguration of these services will have a significant impact.

In 2013, there were 260 prioritised front-line primary care posts, including 52 occupational therapists and 52 speech and language therapists. The aim was to address the waiting list to which the Deputy referred. In 2016, €4 million was provided under the HSE's national service plan to focus specifically on speech and language therapy waiting lists in primary and social care for children aged up to 18 years. This represents a long-term investment in speech and language capacity which will be maintained through this year and in the years ahead.

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