Urgent action is required to tackle lengthy waiting lists for an initial assessment for speech and language therapy, according to a Tipperary TD.
Sinn Féin’s Martin Browne says latest HSE figures show 528 children were waiting for an assessment in the north Tipp/ east Limerick area by February.
The figure was 194 for the south Tipperary region.
The figures have remained stubbornly high in recent years, and deputy Browne says that urgent investment in such services is required.
He’s pointing towards the return of thousands of young health professionals last year as a potential solution.
“We understand that Covid has delayed things and made it awkward but there’s no doubt that it was poor investment for the last number of years that has created the problem.”
“The problem was there – the waiting lists were getting longer and longer – long before Covid.”
“I would anger that there over 70,000 people came home for Ireland’s Call and only 1% of them were used across the board. I would have no doubt that there’s people in that 70,000 that could do this kind of work.”
