Colm Keaveney (Galway East, Fianna Fail)
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42. To ask the Minister for Health his proposals to reduce waiting lists for a range of disability-specific services; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [20766/15]

Kathleen Lynch (Cork North Central, Labour)
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The Government currently provides funding of approximately €1.5 billion to the Disability Services Programme through the Health Service Executive's National Service Plan for 2015. The HSE aims to ensure that the resources available are used to best effect, in order to provide assessment and ongoing therapy to children and adults in line with their prioritised needs. However, it is acknowledged that current waiting lists for some therapeutic supports are high.

In 2013, additional funding of €20m was provided to strengthen primary care services. This comprised of €18.5m for the recruitment of over 260 primary care team posts and over €1.4m to support community intervention team development.

In 2014, the roll out of theProgressing Disability Services for Children and Young People Programmeentailed targeted investment of €4m and the provision of 80 additional therapy staff. To improve services for children with all disabilities. At 30th April 2015, 47 of the 2014 posts have been filled, a further 20 are at the stage of 'post accepted' and the process is on-going for the remaining posts. A further €4m allocation was announced in 2015 to continue work on this Programme.

I am confident that the additional resources being invested into both primary care and disability services will have a positive impact on the provision of clinical services to all children with disabilities, including those who may currently be on waiting lists to access therapy inputs.