Michael Creed (Cork North West, Fine Gael)
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Question 86: To ask the Minister for Health and Children the level of speech and language therapy available in the Cork area for children diagnosed with autism; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [41961/08]

John Moloney (Laois-Offaly, Fianna Fail)
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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.

Olwyn Enright (Laois-Offaly, Fine Gael)
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Question 87: To ask the Minister for Health and Children the steps taken by her Department to replace a speech and language therapist providing services at a school (details supplied) in County Laois; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [41981/08]

Mary Harney (Dublin Mid West, Progressive Democrats)
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Almost 130,000 people work full-time or part-time in our public health services. In recent years, the Government's ongoing high level of investment in health has achieved and maintained significant increases in the numbers of doctors, nurses and other healthcare professionals employed in the public health services. The Government has also invested heavily in the education and training of such personnel in order to secure a good supply of graduates to provide for the healthcare needs of the population into the future.

Subject to overall parameters set by Government, the Health Service Executive has the responsibility for determining the composition of its staffing complement. In that regard, it is a matter for the Executive to manage and deploy its human resources to best meet the requirements of its Annual Service Plan for the delivery of health and personal social services to the public. The Executive is the appropriate body to consider the matters raised by the Deputy. My Department has requested the Parliamentary Affairs Division of the Executive to arrange to have the matters investigated and to have a reply issued directly to the Deputy.