Robert Troy (Longford-Westmeath, Fianna Fail)

I appreciate the Senator's frustration. He raised a specific query in relation to his own area in Connemara. To be fair to the Department, it acknowledges that this is a problem.It has adopted a national plan as to how to target this problem in relation to the systematic programme it will roll out across the three disciplines: occupational therapy, physiotherapy and speech and language therapy. If the scheme is improved nationally, it will have an impact across all regions.

I will take back what the Senator has raised specifically in relation to Connemara and ask if the Minister, Deputy Jennifer Carroll MacNeill, can come back to him directly as to how this targeted approach will deal with the long waiting lists in Connemara. We experience this right across the country. Only yesterday I had a round-table discussion with service providers in my constituency about the challenges they face, and the big issue, which the Government will have to come to terms with, is how to ensure we can attract and retain critical professionals to provide these services, because we are not doing so. There is a high vacancy rate - maternity leave, people moving into the private sector - and we will have to try to address that because if we do not have the professionals to provide the services, we will not be able to bring down the waiting lists.