Does the Minister accept that the financial provision still does not cater for critical areas? His Department or the health boards are responsible indirectly for the provision of speech therapy to special schools. Yet in those special schools where the children so badly need the assistance of speech therapists they are denied them and the number of hours available are limited because of the absence of finance from the health boards through his Department. These gaps are repeated in dental care and care for the aged in nursing homes. The provision being made for the remainder of this year has proved to be inadequate.

While I do not have specific figures for speech therapists, one of the difficulties is in recruiting these people. In relation to the subventions to the Eastern Health Board it might interest the House to know that rather than a reduction in the amount being spent on subventing elderly people in nursing homes the board are subventing 16,000 more bed days in 1989 than in 1988. The Eastern Health Board have increased their expenditure on subventions by over £250,000 in 1989 over 1988.

That is because long stay hospitals were closed.

Since July 30 patients have been approved for admission to private nursing homes.