asked the Minister for Health if his attention has been drawn to the long delays for children in need of speech therapy in County Kerry; and the action, if any, he intends taking in the matter.

The provision of speech therapy services in County Kerry is a matter for the Southern Health Board. The board state that there are two speech therapists operating in County Kerry. Due to difficulties with their caseload the board recently passed a resolution recommending to me that additional speech therapists be appointed in County Kerry. However, the board have not yet submitted proposals to me as to how this might be achieved in the context of their overall financial and staffing resources.

Is the Minister accepting from the report that has been furnished to him and his officials by the Southern Health Board that there is a need for an additional speech therapist to be appointed in County Kerry?

I am not satisfied with the high caseload the speech therapists say they have in County Kerry. As I said, primarily it is a matter for the Southern Health Board.

The Minister, I assume, is aware he will have to make the allocation of funds because he is probably aware of the fact that the Southern Health Board are short £7 million for 1987. If the request is for additional funds, given that he himself does not accept the high caseload will he be in a position to furnish the modest sum of money for one additional speech therapist?

I regret to have to tell Deputy Spring that we do not have any more money at our disposal to allocate this year to the Southern Health Board.