Catherine Byrne (Dublin South Central, Fine Gael) | Oireachtas source

CHO area 7 covers some of my constituency and I deal every day with some of the issues raised by Deputy Crowe. It is very disturbing and frustrating for parents who are left waiting for such a long time.

On behalf of the Minister for Health, I thank the Deputy for raising the very important matter and for providing the opportunity to update the Dáil.

The Government accepts that there are challenges in accessing times for speech and language therapy services and that this is a concern for patients and their families. I assure the Deputy that every effort is being made to reduce waiting times nationally and at the local level in Dublin South-West. The challenges we face in ensuring timely access to services should not be underestimated. Not only is the demand for speech and language therapy and other therapy services increasing across the country, but the HSE reports that the complexity of individual cases is increasing.

The speech and language therapy team in Dublin South-West works across primary care and disability services. In the primary care sector, the majority of the service is focused on the needs of children under 18 years of age. In the 11 months up to the end of November 2017, 1,377 referrals were accepted in the area. The current position is that 713 people are waiting to be seen for an initial assessment, 244 of whom have been waiting for longer than one year. All of those waiting over one year are under 18 years of age, with the majority of these individuals awaiting specialist disability multidisciplinary team assessments and interventions. In addition, 313 individuals are waiting for initial intervention following assessments.

It gives me no pleasure to inform the Deputy of such numbers. The Minister, Deputy Harris, is conscious that behind these figures are real people seeking care and support. Access times for speech and language therapy services are too long, and it for this reason that we have introduced a range of measures to address the problem.

Funding was provided in 2016 for speech and language posts to prioritise the longest waiting children. CHO 7 was allocated an additional 16 posts under this initiative. Other actions taken to improve services in the area include the establishment of drop-in clinics that provide advice and support, the provision of maternity leave cover and the introduction of new models of working. Of particular note is the in-school speech and language therapy demonstration project that is now up and running in CHO 7, covering Dublin, south Kildare and west Wicklow. This joint collaboration between the HSE, the Department of Education and Skills and the Department of Children and Youth Affairs provides occupational therapy and speech and language therapy services across 150 schools and preschools. Under this scheme, children can receive in-house therapy services with the aim of delivering therapeutic interventions as early as possible to support their social skills, mental health and academic performance.

The HSE's national service plan 2019 reflects the Government's commitment to improve access to primary care services such as speech and language therapy. It contains provision for the recruitment of 170 additional community nursing and therapy posts and sets a target of 4,500 additional patients to be seen in 2019, with a full-year impact in 2020 of 9,000 additional patients seen. An additional 100 therapy posts are planned to reduce waiting times for the assessment of need under the Disability Act 2005.

The Government appreciates that delays in accessing services can be difficult for the families and children affected. However, the recent investment in speech and language therapy posts, along with new ways of working, such as the in-school project, will support improved access to services and have a favourable impact on the long waiting list, including children on it. Furthermore, the 2019 national service plan contains a number of provisions aimed at improving access to therapy services. This additional investment should make a real difference to patients and their families.

See this speech in context