March 2008

CLARITY NEEDED ON FUNDING PROVISION FOR SPEECH & LANGUAGE THERAPISTS – INCLUSION IRELAND

• Taoiseach and Minister’s words don’t correspond with actions of HSE
• INCLUSION IRELAND “deeply concerned” over lack of therapists

Inclusion Ireland CEO Deirdre Carroll says the words of the Taoiseach and the Disability Minister regarding the lack of therapists for children and adults with intellectual disability do not correspond with the actions of the HSE. Ms. Carroll is responding to recent comments by Taoiseach Bertie Ahern that the HSE has the money to appoint speech and language therapists. “It is worrying that while Minister Devins and the Taoiseach appear to be aware of the shortage of therapists, the HSE’s actions do not reflect what they are saying.” A delegation from Inclusion Ireland raised this issue during a recent meeting with the new Minister for Disability and Mental Health Services Jimmy Devins TD.

In a television interview (10/03/2008) the Taoiseach said “In the disability sector I understand they have the money and they will be able to take on the people”, while in an adjournment debate in the Dáil (31/01/2008), Minister Devins said:

‘In the period 2005-2007 the Department provided funding to the HSE for the employment of multi-disciplinary supports and other staff...A total of 446 posts were approved in the area of speech and language therapy, occupational therapy, psychology, physiotherapy and social work between the HSE and voluntary service providers. The HSE stated that the majority of these posts were identified as required to provide the assessments and ongoing service interventions arising from the commencement of the Disability Act.”

However, in direct contradiction of these words, the HSE, which is facing significant budget deficits, has made it clear that posts approved in 2007 that were not filled are now considered lapsed. The reason given for not filling these posts was a lack of suitably qualified therapists. The filling of these posts can now only take place in 2008 within an overall approved employment ceiling for the HSE. The Taoiseach said he believed the HSE has ring-fenced resources in some sectors and that funding is available. Deirdre Carroll says it is imperative the Government makes it clear if this funding is available.

“It appears that disability services will suffer due to overruns within the general HSE budget. Inclusion Ireland campaigned vigorously for a clause in the Disability Act to ensure that money for disability services be ring-fenced. This was rejected and people with disabilities are now paying the price. The HSE Service Plan for 2008 speaks of a framework document for the delivery of services to children aged 0-5 years being implemented ‘within available resources’. The Department of Health and Children and the Minister have a clear duty to ensure that the statutory obligation to provide an independent assessment of need to children aged 0-5 years is met and must direct the HSE to set aside adequate funding for this purpose as well as encouraging positive recruitment practices. They also have a responsibility to ensure that there are sufficient therapists to provide assessments. There is evidence of longer waiting lists for services as existing clinical staff undertake assessments at the expense of their day to day work. It must be remembered that the Act only applies to children aged 0-5 years. The Act has yet to be rolled out for children of school going age and for adults. Inclusion Ireland remains deeply concerned about the lack of speech and language therapists.”