Right across the country, people are being pushed to the pin of their collars. They are struggling to pay for basics, such as food and fuel. They are also struggling because of the Government's inability to provide basic health services. This is most evident in the dire state of primary care services for children. Figures released to me show that in just 11 months, the number of children waiting more than two years for an initial speech and language therapy assessment rose by an alarming 149%. Some 1,200 children have now been languishing on the waiting list for over two years. Even once assessed, these children just move straight from one waiting list to another, this time for their first speech and language session. At the end of February, nearly 7,000 children were waiting for their first speech and language therapy session. Over one third, almost 2,500, have been waiting for over a year. This is indefensible. Decent healthcare services for children should not be too much to ask for. Families are under enough pressure. They should not have to watch their children fall behind, denied the opportunity to reach their full potential. What is the Government going to do to address this crisis in our primary healthcare service?

We are doing a number of things. We are recruiting more therapists. We are changing the system. There were too many therapists involved in the assessment of need process and not enough in the provision of therapy services. We are also creating a new school-based therapy service, starting with special schools. There will be speech and language therapists and occupational therapists in the special schools and we will extend that into the mainstream as we progress. The Minister for education received funding this year from the Government with a view to implementing in-school therapy services in our special schools and we hope that the first phase of that will conclude in the next school year. We are committed to doing that and to building it up. That will be key because it would mean regular interaction for children with particularly severe needs on a regular basis with speech and language therapists.