Speech therapist crisis deplored

A CRITICAL shortage of speech and language therapists has left thousands of people with untreated speech defects and language difficulties, in some cases for up to three years.

In the South Western Health Board area alone, 55% of speech therapy posts remain unfilled and almost 3,000 people are awaiting either assessment or therapy.

In the Eastern Health Board area, children in two special language classes at St Mark’s National School in Tallaght have been without speech therapists for all of this school year. Parents, backed by the INTO, marched on the Dáil yesterday to highlight their plight and later met with Junior Health Minister Tim O’Malley. Among the solutions being looked at is the possibility of the Government buying in a private therapist as a stop-gap.