91 Mr. Leonard asked the Minister for Health the steps, if any, he is taking to increase the number of speech therapists in view of the present scarcity of such therapists. [12234/97]

Limerick East): As I have informed the House on previous occasions, the speech and language therapy service has improved in recent years. Health boards have viewed its development as a priority and additional speech therapy services have been provided in recent years with funding provided for the development of services for people with a physical disability or mental handicap. Notwithstanding these improvements, it is clear that further development of the speech and language therapy service in general is required.