SPEECH AND LANGUAGE DELAY

The appointment of a permanent Speech and Language Therapist to St Cecilia’s School is a priority, a meeting of the Regional Health Forum West was told.

Approval for temporary cover to provide a Speech and Language Therapy Service to St. Cecilia’s School has been secured and a Senior Speech and Language Therapist began working on the 31st October.

Approval of the permanent post to be released, is awaited. This post has been escalated on the priority list for Social Care.

The meeting was also told that the Speech and Language Therapist is a HSE appointment and not a school appointment and is allocated to a fixed number of hours per week to St Cecilia’s

The matters were raised by Sligo councillors at the meeting in Galway.

Cllr Dara Mulvey asked for an update on the appointment of a Speech Therapist at St. Cecilia’s School, following interviews which were held earlier this year.

Cllr Donal Gilroy proposed that the forum call on the Minister for Health, Simon Harris to ensure that the all necessary medical positions at St. Cecilia’s School were fully staffed, with specific requirement to maintain full Speech & Language Therapy, Psychologist service and Behavioural Therapist services”.

Cllr Gilroy said “There have been both temporary and permanent vacancies in these services and the long-term development of the vulnerable children at this school has been put in jeopardy. For this reason and the fact that these children are among the most vulnerable in society we call on the Minister to ensure these services are not only provided in full to all children attending the school but that the resources are put in place to ensure that no further interruption to service is experienced at this wonderful school”

Moving his motion Cllr Declan Bree said:“There is growing concern and uncertainty among parents and indeed growing frustration at the delay in the new post permanent being filled.

“The parents of these children have enough to do without having the extra burden of campaigning and lobbying to ensure that their children receive a reasonable service from the HSE and the State.

“In my view it is outrageous that this matter has been allowed to drag on. As far as am concerned these children are being treated as second class citizens.

“We now need to see movement on this matter and we need to see the Director General of the HSE and the Minister for Health taking appropriate action to ensure the contract is signed and the post filled without further delay.”