Jim O'Keeffe (Cork South West, Fine Gael)
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Question 291: To ask the Minister for Health and Children the reason a person (details supplied) in County Cork who was recently approved for a non-contributory pension has had their blind welfare allowance withdrawn. [32702/06]

Tim O'Malley (Limerick East, Progressive Democrats)
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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.

Bernard Allen (Cork North Central, Fine Gael)
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Question 292: To ask the Minister for Health and Children the reason procedures have been changed in the southern region whereby patients who require surgical corsets are being told that, due to a change in the administrative system, there is a four month gap between a request being submitted and the surgical corset being supplied to the patient; and if she will investigate the reason this situation has evolved. [32608/06]

Mary Harney (Dublin Mid West, Progressive Democrats)
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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 have this matter investigated and to have a reply issued directly to the Deputy.

Bernard Allen (Cork North Central, Fine Gael)
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Question 293: To ask the Minister for Health and Children if she will investigate the case of a person (details supplied) in County Cork; and if she will direct the Health Service Executive to award the allowance from 1 September 2004 when the school first diagnosed them as having a problem. [32609/06]

Tim O'Malley (Limerick East, Progressive Democrats)
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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.

Catherine Murphy (Kildare North, Independent)
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Question 294: To ask the Minister for Health and Children further to Parliamentary Question No. 223 of 6 December 2005, the number of children in each county currently on waiting lists for an initial assessment of need, initial intervention, and further intervention with regard to speech therapy, language therapy, occupational therapy, and psychological services; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [32610/06]

Tim O'Malley (Limerick East, Progressive Democrats)
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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.

Catherine Murphy (Kildare North, Independent)
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Question 295: To ask the Minister for Health and Children if limitations have been placed on the number of frontline therapists who can be employed by the Health Service Executive; if such limitations exist, the upper limit on the number of speech therapists, language therapists, occupational therapists, and psychologists who can be employed as a whole and per administrative area; if, in view of the waiting lists for such services, these limits are under review or due to be reviewed; the measures she proposes to tackle the long waiting times associated with these therapies; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [32611/06]

Mary Harney (Dublin Mid West, Progressive Democrats)
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Let me say at the outset that there is no embargo on the recruitment of staff in the public health service. Nor does my Department set employment quotas at national level for any grade in the public health service. It is a matter for the Health Service Executive, as part of its management of its employment ceiling, to determine the appropriate staffing mix required to deliver its service plan priorities. I have consistently emphasised the importance of prioritising the filling of front line vacancies in complying with approved employment levels. I have also emphasised the need to achieve an appropriate balance between clinical and non-clinical posts.

Approved employment levels for the health service have been adjusted since 2002 in line with Government policy on public sector employment and also to take account of specific policy measures aimed at increasing service levels. My Department is currently in discussions with the Department of Finance and the Health Service Executive to agree revisions to the health service employment ceiling to take account of service developments, including disability services.

A priority for the HSE in 2006 is to increase service provision in the area of multi-disciplinary supports to meet obligations to children with developmental delay, in the home, in the community and in other appropriate settings. The investment package will facilitate the recruitment of up to 200 extra therapists, particularly speech and language, occupational therapy and physiotherapy. Due to the current limited supply of these grades, it is acknowledged that in the short term recruitment from overseas will be required. The HSE has put in place a project plan for this.

As this question relates to human resource management issues and 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, 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.

Catherine Murphy (Kildare North, Independent)
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Question 296: To ask the Minister for Health and Children the number of speech therapists, language therapists, occupational therapists, and educational psychologists currently employed by the Health Service Executive in each administrative area; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [32612/06]

Mary Harney (Dublin Mid West, Progressive Democrats)
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In relation to the number of educational psychologists currently employed by the HSE, I wish to advise that employment information collected relates to grades and employing authority rather than to specific areas of responsibility for individual staff. Numbers employed in the specific health and social care professions referred to in the question, at end March 2006, are set out in the table below: