Michael Noonan (Limerick East, Fine Gael)
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Question 211: To ask the Minister for Health and Children if her attention has been drawn to the fact that there is currently no paediatric occupational therapist available within primary care in the mid-western region of the Health Service Executive and that while the post has been interviewed and panelled the filling of same has been delayed as a result of the moratorium; the way a patient in need of paediatric occupational therapy in the region may access this treatment; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [24643/09]

Mary Harney (Dublin Mid West, Progressive Democrats)
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There has been a growing demand for, and investment in, occupational therapy services over the last number of years. 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. 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. In this regard, since 1997, the number of training places for occupational therapy has been increased from 29 to 110 which represents an increase of 279%.

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 numbers employed in occupational therapy has also grown significantly, from 291 whole time equivalents employed in December 1997 rising to 1,093 whole time equivalents employed in March 2009, which represents an increase of 276%. The Government is committed to ensuring continued adequate recruitment of professional staff across a range of community settings to ensure the continued development of community services. Additional funding of €20 million has been provided in 2009 for health and education services for children with special educational needs. This funding will provide a total of 125 additional therapy posts in the HSE targeted at children of school-going age. 90 of these will be in the disability services, including occupational therapists, speech and language therapists and physiotherapists.

My Department recently wrote to the Health Service Executive setting out the overall approved employment control ceiling for 2009. As part of this approval, written confirmation has been provided to the HSE that the general moratorium on recruitment, promotion and the payment of acting up allowances does not apply to specific designated grades. Delegated sanction has been given to the HSE for the creation and filling of frontline posts including occupational therapy, speech and language therapy and physiotherapy posts. The approval indicated that vacancies in existing posts in these grades may continue to be filled. New posts may also be created in these grades, up to a specified limit, provided that the HSE is satisfied in each case that there is no scope to redeploy an equivalent post from the hospital sector to the primary and community care sector. This moratorium exemption provides for an increase in the number of therapy posts, in line with Government policy, in order to meet the requirements of integrated care delivery and primary care needs particularly in respect of children at risk, the elderly and those with disabilities. The recruitment and retention of these key front line therapy posts, including occupational therapists, is vital to ensure continued progress in the development of community settings. Subject to overall parameters set by Government, the Health Service Executive has the responsibility for determining the composition of its staffing complement. 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. With regard to occupational therapy posts in the mid-western region, as this is a service matter it has been referred to the HSE for direct reply.