Colm Keaveney (Galway East, Fianna Fail)
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4. To ask the Minister for Health the way he will address the deficit of early intervention teams for children in many parts of the country; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [7187/14]

Colm Keaveney (Galway East, Fianna Fail)
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The object of the question is to elicit a response with respect to the waiting lists nationally for the early implementation teams. I would be grateful if the Minister would give us a response to that effect.

Kathleen Lynch (Cork North Central, Labour)
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The Government is committed to the provision and development of services for children with a disability, including early intervention services, within available resources. While these services are in the process of being reconfigured under the Health Service Executive's national programme on progressing disability services for children and young people from birth to 18 years, it is important to note that all HSE areas have significant early intervention services in place for children with disabilities, from birth to aged 18. These are provided directly by the HSE or by voluntary service providers funded by the HSE.

The aim of the programme on progressing disability services for children and young people is to achieve a national, unified approach to delivering disability health services in order that there is a clear pathway to services for all children - it is not in place at present - regardless of where they live, the school they go to or the nature of their disability. An additional €4 million has been specifically allocated in 2014 to drive implementation of the programme. This equates to approximately 80 therapy posts.

There are almost 60 geographically based multidisciplinary teams established as part of the reconfigured service model under this programme. It is hoped that a further 30 teams will be reconfigured this year, bringing the overall total to approximately 90 teams by the end of 2014. These figures reflect all children's disability teams that provide early intervention services to children from birth to aged 18. The transition to this new model is being implemented on a phased basis and, what is important, it includes consultation and engagement with stakeholders such as service users and their families.

Colm Keaveney (Galway East, Fianna Fail)
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I thank the Minister of State for her response. I draw her attention to the comments made in response to the previous question with respect to cuts in disability. While I acknowledge a transformation is taking place within the sector, the object of the question concerns the issue of the 15,000 people on waiting lists for speech and language therapy. In Dublin alone there are 10,000 citizens waiting for speech and language therapy, and in the HSE South administrative area there are 3,171 people on the waiting list. We are moving from an existing system to a projected early intervention team, EIT, system, but we still have a crisis, particularly when it comes to occupational therapies. In the HSE Dublin Mid-Leinster and Dublin North-East administrative areas, 4,000 children await occupational therapy. In the two Dublin administrative regions, 10,000 people await physiotherapy as we speak. How does the Minister of State intend to tackle these chronic waiting lists? This is a grave concern. We are in a process of transition. Obviously, what we are leaving behind us is not addressing the situation while we get to the point where EITs are up and running and fully resourced.

Michael Kitt (Galway East, Fianna Fail)
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I will call the Deputy again.

Kathleen Lynch (Cork North Central, Labour)
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I agree with the Deputy. What we inherited was quite significant despite a significant amount of money being spent annually. It became clear, on looking at the situation when we entered Government, that what was in place was not working and that we had to reconfigure the entire service. That is what we are in the process of doing. We have been extraordinarily lucky in getting someone like Pat Healy to come in and drive that change. He has experience far beyond anyone I know in terms of disability. I know him from his work in the south. What we are doing is ensuring children, despite the fact they may not be attached to a particular service, have access to community-based early intervention teams. It is a process of building those teams, and that is what we are doing. We have managed to get €4 million in funding this year, in very tight circumstances, to ensure that service is put in place. It will take a little more time, perhaps another year or two, but at that point I believe we will have a better service. I believe also that we must get away from the concept of having to have a diagnosis before one gets a service.

Colm Keaveney (Galway East, Fianna Fail)
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The figures for the past 12, 24 or 36 months are not too far from the original figures I had confirmed. I am concerned the Minister of State's language around this issue does not engender confidence in families who are gravely concerned that they must wait a significant length of time with respect to children who are nearly in mainstream education at this stage, with no diagnosis. The Minister of State is so optimistic about the future in terms of transformation, yet while she stood here yesterday and spoke about a unit in University College Hospital Galway, part of the roof was blowing off that building. She is transferring vulnerable service users into an inappropriate unit at UCHG where there are three showers for 40 unwell service users. Is that the type of transformation she is talking about? Is she talking about the transformation where part of the roof is blown off UCHG while the Minister stood here yesterday and robustly defended a decision-----

Michael Kitt (Galway East, Fianna Fail)
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Thank you, Deputy.

Colm Keaveney (Galway East, Fianna Fail)
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-----to shut down facilities in St. Brigid's Hospital in Ballinasloe and transfer them to UCHG where part of the roof was ripped off in the storm yesterday evening? That was her robust plan.

Kathleen Lynch (Cork North Central, Labour)
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I do not know how we have strayed into this area because there is another question tabled on mental health. Obviously, the Deputy felt the need to raise it earlier.

Despite the fact that I take entire responsibility for the disability and mental health service,and how we need to transform it, what we inherited was chaotic. We inherited it from the party of which Deputy Colm Keaveney is now a member.

Colm Keaveney (Galway East, Fianna Fail)
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There are fewer staff under the current Government.

Kathleen Lynch (Cork North Central, Labour)
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No one is responsible for the type of weather we have seen in the past few weeks. Coming from Cork, I know that better than most and, when there is an issue of health and safety, that will be dealt with as a matter of urgency. My information is that, as of this morning, it is being dealt with as we speak. This is why we are building a new 50-bed unit at the same site. There is no great disagreement between us and I know the Deputy wants the new unit and that he wants people treated properly, as do I. I am not responsible for the weather and all I can do is deal with the situation as I find it.

Colm Keaveney (Galway East, Fianna Fail)
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What about the €3.1 million in St. Luke's?

Kathleen Lynch (Cork North Central, Labour)
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When I came into office, I found a service in chaos.