Jim Daly (Cork South West, Fine Gael) | Oireachtas source

I thank the Senator Ó Ríordáin for raising this important issue and highlighting it in the House. I assure him that the Government appreciates the difficulties these waiting times put on parents and the difficulties faced by those affected by the waiting times for children to access speech and language therapy. In recognising this, in last year's service plan, the HSE put €4 million aside and took on 83 full-time staff to address the front-line speech and language therapy waiting lists in the past year, focusing on children up to 18 years old. I am advised that nearly all of the posts have now been filled. Nationally, this investment has resulted in a reduction of nearly 10% in the overall waiting lists for those under 18 for the period from July 2016 to the end of October 2017.

With regard to the particular area raised by Senator Ó Ríordáin, I am advised by the HSE that, under the funding initiative, community health organisation, CHO, Dublin north city and county, Area 9, was allocated 13 additional posts, all of which have been filled. This gives a total of more than 71 whole-time equivalent speech and language therapy staff for children’s services in the CHO area. I understand that there are currently only three vacancies. One is in the process of being filled and requests have been made to fill the other two which are maternity leave related. I am advised that the managers of the services endeavour to maintain service provision where possible in the interim. I also understand that those waiting a service can avail of drop-in advice clinics while pre-assessment talks and additional group interventions have been offered during 2017. Significant progress has been made to address waiting lists in CHO Area 9 in the past year. As a result children no longer wait over 24 months for an assessment and only six children currently wait for more than 12 months for an assessment. Additionally, the overall waiting lists for under 18s in CHO Area 9 were reduced by nearly 18% for the period July 2016 to end October 2017 thus outperforming the national figure for the same period. That said, for any child to have to wait more than 12 months is unsatisfactory. Through the additional posts and other national initiatives, the Government hopes the number will continue to decrease.

One such initiative is the establishment of the HSE's speech and language therapy service review group. Its principal focus is to recommend an evidence-based national model for speech and language therapy provision in primary and social care that focuses on children aged up to 18 years. In addition, the Programme for a Partnership Government commits that a new speech and language service in schools will be established to support young children as part of a more integrated support system. The report of the HSE's review group will inform a new model being developed by a joint working group that is led by the Department of Education and Skills. Funding of €2 million was allocated under budget 2018 to develop and implement a pilot model.

It is evident that there has been and continues to be a clear commitment by this Government to enhance the provision of speech and language therapy services, particularly for children. Focused interventions, supported by dedicated funding for early intervention and prevention services, not only greatly benefits children they also go a long way to address the concerns of parents that their children receive timely and appropriate services.