Billy Timmins (Wicklow, Independent)
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227. To ask the Minister for Health further to Parliamentary Question No. 179 of 6 February 2014, the position regarding the issue raised in the second half of the question and the policy, if any, surrounding the IQ level of the student. [7158/14]

James Reilly (Dublin North, Fine Gael)
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As previously indicated to the Deputy, health related supports and interventions for children who are of primary school age can be accessed through HSE Primary Care Teams and HSE Disability Services. Each individual presenting to the HSE's speech and language service has an initial assessment to determine their individual need for therapy. The therapist, in conjunction with the parent(s) or carer, will determine the severity of the individual’s difficulties and prioritise for therapy accordingly. The level of intervention is in line with clinical policy, age and severity of the diagnosis. The waiting period for intervention is dependent on the nature and severity of the disorder following assessment. In an effort to address the issue of waiting lists and ensure that services are delivered in as equitable a manner as possible within available resources, the HSE has introduced a number of initiatives such as therapists increasing clinic based work instead of domiciliary work and providing family-centred interventions in a group, as opposed to a one-to-one setting, whenever possible.

The HSE has informed me that decisions regarding the provision of services, including therapy services, are not based simply on an individual’s level of IQ; rather best practice dictates that each case is assessed individually on its merits and therapy decisions made accordingly. I understand, however, that cognitive assessments are a specific diagnostic requirement for children with Specific Language Impairment to access language classes in schools.