Michael Ring (Mayo, Fine Gael)
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Question 390: To ask the Tánaiste and Minister for Health and Children if, in view of the surplus of estimated revenue to the Exchequer, further funding will be made available for speech and language therapy services in County Mayo; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [1550/06]

Tim O'Malley (Limerick East, Progressive Democrats)
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The Government has taken a planned approach to building up capacity in the area of multidisciplinary support service for both adults and children with disabilities. This includes, in addition to the provision of additional financial resources, various initiatives related to the training, recruitment and retention of key allied health professionals as follows: the expansion of the number of training places available for speech and language therapists, occupational therapists, physiotherapists, psychologists, nursing and other key professionals; and national and overseas recruitment initiatives and enhancement of career opportunities.

The level of support available form these health related support services to children with physical, sensory and intellectual disabilities and autism has been incrementally increasing annually in recent years as a result of the additional funding which has been made available by this Government. An integral part of the national disability strategy is the implementations of the provisions of the two major legislative measures which have been enacted recently, the Disability Act 2005 and the Education for Persons with Special Educational Needs Act 2004, both of which have very significant implications for the planning and delivery of health and personal social services for people with disabilities. Additional funding of €155 million has been allocated to services for people with disabilities in 2006. Of this funding, €59 million is being provided to meet costs associated with the various elements of this programme.

Further additional funding amounting to €41 million is being used to enhance the multidisciplinary support services for people with disabilities, in line with the Government's commitment to build capacity within the health services to deliver on the various legislative provisions contained on the national disability strategy. As outlined in the multi-annual investment programme 2006-2009, additional capital funding amounting to €55 million is also being provided in 2006 to support these developments.

The Deputy's question relates to the management and delivery of health and personal social services, which are the responsibility of the Health Service Executive under the Health Act 2004. Accordingly, my Department has requested the parliamentary affairs division of the executive to arrange to have this matter investigated and to have a reply issued directly to the Deputy.

Michael Ring (Mayo, Fine Gael)
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Question 391: To ask the Tánaiste and Minister for Health and Children if meetings have been held with a group (details supplied) in Dublin 2; if so, the number of occasions of same; if green cards will be issued to persons who have all the symptoms of hepatitis but have not been diagnosed as having same; and the number of persons affected by same. [1553/06]

Mary Harney (Dublin Mid West, Progressive Democrats)
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My Department has regular contact with the group referred to by the Deputy and I have had a number of meetings with it. The issue of an extension of the Health (Amendment) Act 1996 to provide free health care for the cohort of patients referred to by the Deputy has been carefully examined and advice taken from a number of relevant experts. While I am sympathetic to the patients in question, I cannot support an extension to the current eligibility requirements. This position was signalled to the group at a meeting last February. Following further analysis of the matter I confirmed my decision to the group last September.