Aengus Ó Snodaigh (Dublin South Central, Sinn Fein)
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Question 143: To ask the Tánaiste and Minister for Health and Children the number of speech therapists per Health Service Executive area and per community care area in Dublin; and the waiting list in each area. [2992/06]

Mary Harney (Dublin Mid West, Progressive Democrats)
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As the Deputy's question in regard to waiting lists relates to the management and delivery of health and personal social services, which is the responsibility of the Health Service Executive under the Health Act 2004, the parliamentary affairs division of the executive has been asked to arrange to have this matter investigated and to have a reply issued directly to the Deputy.

The total number of speech and language therapists by Health Service Executive area, including voluntary hospitals and intellectual disability agencies, at end September 2005 is shown in the following table.

Employment information with regard to community care areas in Dublin is also shown. It should be noted that these latter figures are exclusive of speech and language therapists employed in any hospitals and intellectual disability agencies located within the community care areas. All figures are expressed in whole time equivalent, WTE, terms. The Deputy will also wish to be aware that the total number of speech and language therapists employed at end September 2005 represents an increase of 162, WTE, or 42% over end-December 2000 figures.

Joe Costello (Dublin Central, Labour)
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Question 145: To ask the Tánaiste and Minister for Health and Children if her attention has been drawn to the fact that stroke is the third leading cause of death here; if her attention has further been drawn to the fact that same accounts for almost 10% of accident and emergency admissions yet stroke health services are under developed here; her views on whether a national stroke strategy is required; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [3024/06

Seán Power (Kildare South, Fianna Fail)
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In 2005, the Tánaiste met the Irish Heart Foundation to discuss, inter alia, services for patients with stroke. Following that meeting, the foundation, with the support of a grant of €70,000 from my Department, convened a national stroke review group, NSRG. The NSRG has representatives from the HSE — population health — and from a wide range of relevant professional and voluntary organisations — community health nurses, speech therapists, volunteer scheme etc. The group developed a research protocol based on methods used for an audit of hospital and community services in the UK.

The research is a national audit of stroke services, to include an audit of hospital-based stroke services: organisational aspects of care in acute hospitals, especially reorganised stroke care, and a clinical audit of stroke care, involving review of clinical case notes for a selected sample of patients; and an audit of community-based stroke services, to include surveys of GPs, allied health professionals, patients and carers, and nursing homes.

These audits will provide excellent baseline information on which to benchmark progress in developing stroke services. The NSRG will monitor progress of the research and use the findings to make recommendations on the development of stroke services. My Department and the Health Service Executive will consider policy implications in the light of this national service audit.