Seán Sherlock (Cork East, Labour)
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Question 605: To ask the Minister for Health and Children the percentage of home help being provided by private operators in the north and east Cork region of the Health Service Executive; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [31226/08]

Máire Hoctor (Tipperary North, Fianna Fail)
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Operational responsibility for the management and delivery of health and personal social services was assigned to the Health Service Executive under the Health Act 2004. Therefore, the Executive is the appropriate body to consider the particular matter raised by the Deputy. My Department has requested the Parliamentary Affairs Division of the Executive to arrange to have the matter investigated and to have a reply issued directly to the Deputy.

James Bannon (Longford-Westmeath, Fine Gael)
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Question 606: To ask the Minister for Health and Children the options open to a person (details supplied) in County Longford; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [31230/08]

Mary Harney (Dublin Mid West, Progressive Democrats)
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There has been a growing demand for, and investment in, speech and language therapy in the health services over the last number of years.

There were a number of issues contributing to difficulties accessing Speech and Language Therapy services, one of which had been the supply of qualified personnel available to fill vacant posts. A particular priority for my Department and the Department of Education and Science in recent years has been the expansion of the supply of therapy graduates. In this regard, the number of training places for Speech and Language Therapy has been increased from 25 to 105, with the establishment of three new Speech and Language Therapy Schools in National University of Ireland Galway (NUIG), University College Cork (UCC) and University of Limerick (UL), which represents an increase of 320% since 1997.

The number of speech and language therapists employed in the public service has grown from 282 whole time equivalents in 1997 to 721 in 2008. This is an increase of 439 wholetime equivalents, which represents a growth of 156% in that period. The Government continues to support the development of new Speech and Language Therapy posts, particularly in the areas of Disability and Primary Care. My Department is working closely with the HSE, and representatives of the professions, with a view to ensuring that the optimum number of such posts are filled as expeditiously as possible, having due regard to the requirement on the HSE to operate within its budget.