Under the programme for Government, developing an enhanced primary care system and improving waiting times, what effort has been made to recruit paediatric occupational therapists for primary care services in County Louth? Currently, we have only one part-time occupational therapist and in order to clear the sheer backlog that is there at present we would need eight full-time occupational therapists, and just to run a normal service we would require four. Letters were sent out to parents across County Louth from the HSE stating that there would be a minimum 24-month waiting time before a child could be seen. A child has to wait over two years before he or she gets to receive occupational therapy. That is a shameful record for any Government but particularly a Government that has been in power for over seven years. What plans or active steps has the Taoiseach to rectify the shameful record of waiting times?

I have no doubt of the need for a good paediatric occupational therapy service in County Louth and I understand the concerns of parents who may have children who are waiting for those services. The Deputy will, of course, be aware that I am not involved personally in recruiting paediatric occupational therapists in County Louth or any other county and the best way to get a substantive answer to her question would be by contacting the HSE directly or a parliamentary question to the Minister for Health.