The waiting times for children to access essential services in Laois have been greatly decreased after the HSE employed agency staff.
Children in the Laois-Offaly region were waiting an average of 12 months to speech and language therapy.
This was down to the fact that there were two vacancies in the sector that could not be filled.
Laois TD Brian Stanley has continually raised the issue and now Fianna Fail’s Sean Fleming has revealed that a solution has been found.
He said: “The HSE has confirmed that they will employ agency staff to deal with the lack of speech and language therapists in the midland region and especially to assist children who need this facility.
“The HSE has informed me that there are two vacancies in the Laois/Offaly area and that they are now employing agency staff pending the permanent appointment to fill these vacancies.
“The HSE also confirmed that the two agency staff started very recently and the initial assessment waiting time was 12 months but this has now according to the HSE being reduced to 8 weeks.
“I hope the backlog will improve in the area.”
Deputy Fleming has also asked that if parents are finding difficulties to please let him know this so he can take the matter up again with the HSE.
