Charlie McConalogue
Donegal · Fianna Fáil · Ireland
“There are indications that the opt-out mechanism for the text and data mining exception is not working well in practice. Evidence gathered by the Danish Presidency showed that some activity is taking place on the licensing of works for AI, but that it is uneven across member states and subsectors of the creative sector.”
“The proposal involved the development of grass pitches, an Astroturf facility, flood-lighting and dressing rooms. The Football Association of Ireland wrote to my Department in 2023 stating that it no longer intended to proceed with the LSSIF-funded centre of excellence in Glanmire.”
“I thank the Deputy for raising this issue. The programme for Government commits to maintaining sports funding to get more people participating in all levels of sport, particularly targeting cohorts in society where there are lower than average participation levels.”
“This is Ireland's first national strategy for diabetes and it sets out recommendations for action in relation to type 1 diabetes, type 2 diabetes, diabetes in pregnancy and paediatric diabetes. The strategy marks a major milestone in diabetes care in Ireland and represents the development of a unified approach to its delivery.”
“It is anticipated that the final business case will be submitted shortly to my Department. In relation to the site in Glanmire, my Department has been informed that the property has now been leased to Riverstown Football Club by Cork County Council.”
“The structure of that payment, which was agreed between An Post and the postmasters, is designed to maintain and strengthen our post office network and to keep it sustainable, taking into account the number of post offices in an area, the distance to the next nearest post office and the rural nature versus the population base that it migh…”
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“I thank the Deputy for raising this matter and I know that Raheny Shamrocks is a club to which he is very committed. His question today relates to the potential for a visit from me to the clubhouse, which is something that both Deputies Heneghan and Brabazon have raised with me. I received an invitation from Deputy Brabazon previously and I responded to the effect that I will be visiting the club on 20 May. I look forward to seeing both Deputies then and to meeting club members. The club has a wonderful history and a great tradition. Raheny Shamrocks is an iconic athletics club, not just in Dublin but across the country. It is one of the oldest athletics clubs in the country, with former members, including Olympians Dick Hooper, Pat Hooper, Paddy McGrath, Mick Clohisey and most recently, Sophie Becker.”
“I thank the Deputy for raising this. There has been great progress in participation, and equal participation, by women in all sports. Our national governing bodies have made massive strides in that regard and that has been matched by the Government in relation to funding. I am very aware of the issue. It is very important that players engage with the Camogie Association. I have had engagement with the Camogie Association as well and it is important that they come together to find a resolution that is comfortable for everyone. Participation and making sure everyone is comfortable participating in sport is absolutely essential. It is important there is an agreed way forward with which everyone can be comfortable and which has players and player welfare very much at the centre.”
“I am satisfied that the robustness of controls in place is adequate, and that those controls comply with the relevant Department of Public Expenditure, NDP Delivery and Reform circulars and represent an appropriate balance between the need to have accountability in how public money is disbursed and the need to advance as many worthwhile sports projects as possible.”
“The Department has also recently set up a capital inspection unit. As part of its work, the unit will develop a formal capital inspection process that covers departmental capital grants and departmental capital expenditure. The unit is working to design and implement a risk-based capital inspection programme to cover an appropriate percentage and volume of capital grants and expenditure, including both the community sport facilities fund and the large-scale sport infrastructure fund. This inspection programme will be complementary to the post-completion check already carried out by the sports capital programmes unit.”
“The KDUL grant has been brought to the Department's attention. The grant was fully drawn down and the Department is not aware of any evidence to suggest it has been used for any purpose other than that intended, nor is there any evidence of non-compliance with the terms and conditions of the programme in respect of the grant or on the part of the grantee. I will respond to the Deputy directly with more detail on the issue. I think we are all agreed on the massive importance of this sports capital funding. The funding last year was on an unprecedented scale, reaching over 3,000 clubs. In the management of that, the Department is committed to having appropriate checks and balances in place to make sure any grants awarded are spent as intended. I outlined in my initial reply the checks and balances in place with regard to that.”
“This audit includes a checking of the record keeping and management of the documents supporting payments and an examination of the procedures and policies of the sports capital programme unit. Regular audits are also carried out by the internal audit division of the Department into all aspects of the operation of the programme. The Deputy raised a particular sports capital allocation, which was not part of the initial topic, in his contribution. I will respond to him directly on that topic following his raising it on the floor of the Dáil today.”
“On the rare occasion that a serious instance of non-compliance occurs, the grantee is required to repay the Department any grant money paid that was not used for an approved sporting purpose. As per the relevant departmental guidelines, a system to carry out annual spot checks of capital projects is in place. This is designed to help the Department ensure compliance with all relevant guidelines, including national and EU public procurement procedures and tax clearance requirements as laid down by the Revenue Commissioners. The inspections include a desk-based assessment of projects and site visits to ensure that the projects have been completed and are being used as per the terms and conditions of the CSFF programme. Each year officials from the Office of the Comptroller and Auditor General examine a sample of CSFF payments.”
“Grantees must guarantee that the facilities funded will remain in sporting use for a minimum period of time. This is five years for equipment or capital grants of €25,000 or less and 15 years for any larger capital grants. Once grantees have formal approval, they may commence work and draw down the grant. The drawdown of grants involves the submission of documentation which is checked within the sports capital programmes division and must include invoices that detail the work carried out, proof of payment of these invoices by way of bank statements and a signed certificate of compliance with the terms and conditions of the programme. The Department has a detailed non-compliance policy which is used to examine any suspected instances of non-compliance with the terms and conditions of the fund.”
“All grants under the CSFF are initially allocated on a provisional basis and grantees must provide the documentation set out in the letter of provisional allocation prior to receiving formal approval. In all cases, the letter of provisional allocation informs grantees that submission of false or misleading information to the Department at any stage is treated very seriously. Any organisation that does not comply with the terms and conditions of the sports capital programme may be subject to inspection, have their grant withdrawn, be required to repay all or part of a grant or be barred from making applications for a period of time. All serious breaches of the terms and conditions of the programme will be notified to An Garda Síochána.”
“The programme aims to foster an integrated and planned approach to the development of sports and physical recreation facilities and assists the purchase of non-personal sports equipment. Over €250 million was allocated to 3,048 community sports clubs and facilities in 2024 from the 2023 round of the CSFF, representing the largest ever investment in sports facilities in communities across Ireland. There are a comprehensive set of controls in place to ensure that grants are used in accordance with the objectives and rules of the fund, which I know is a key point raised by the Deputy in his Topical Issue. When making applications under each round of the CSFF, all organisations must agree to the terms and conditions of the programme and include a statement that all information provided as part of an application is truthful.”
“I thank the Deputy for raising this matter and for recognising the important role that the sports capital grant plays in helping sports clubs across the country to develop facilities and back the work done by so many volunteers across sporting clubs. As the Deputy outlined from his experience in his role with Prosperous United, massive work makes sport an important part of people's lives. That is something that we, as a Government, want to continue to support and develop in the time ahead. A key mechanism for doing that, as the Deputy said, is the CSFF, which is the primary means of providing Government support to sport and community organisations at local, regional and national level across the country.”
“It is important that at local level, working with Galway County Council and Swim Ireland where appropriate, the preparatory steps are put in place to ensure that, when the LSSIF reopens, it allows for applications to be made. In response to Deputy Ó Murchú, there is no timeline for a new round yet but a reserve list will be compiled of some of those that were not successful in the most recent round.”
“No application was received from Loughrea as part of the LSSIF funding round. It is important, in advance of the next round of LSSIF, the date of which we have not decided yet, that there is engagement at local level about how that project can step forward, working with Galway County Council. It is not currently open. What we are doing is compiling a reserve list for all of those applications that did not get funding under the most recent LSSIF. As I said, there was €665 million worth of applications and only €173 million of those could be funded, so it was more than three times oversubscribed. A reserve list is being compiled for those and, unlike the position with the sports capital grants, there is a reserve list for the large-scale projects.”
“A trend I have seen is that Opposition parties often put questions about the capacity of local authorities to do new initiatives, while at the same time, Opposition politicians take steps in local authorities not to take steps on local authority rates and the property tax, for example, which would give them the capacity to bring forward projects in the local area. That needs to be considered locally to give the capacity to bring projects forward. The Government will look to step out further funding to see swimming pools and other sports facilities developed under the LSSIF.”
“It is important that there is engagement locally and that the Deputy works with the local authority in Galway about how this can be stepped out. I know there was a recent meeting about it. I have been speaking with Senators Curley and Rabbitte and Deputy Dolan about it. It is important to engage with the local authority in its capacity to work with the local community to develop the project, and with Swim Ireland too, and to see the capacity of the local authority to help to step it out.”
“The programme for Government commits to maintaining sports funding to get more people participating in all levels of sport, particularly targeting cohorts in society where there are lower than average participation levels, including people with disabilities and older people.”
“Ireland's first national swimming strategy was published in August last year and sets out a vision to provide everyone in our country with an opportunity to swim. Its publication follows commitments made under the National Sports Policy 2018-2027 and the Sports Action Plan 2021-2023. A key focus of the policy is on providing improved facilities. Swim Ireland, as the national governing body for swimming, is currently undertaking an analysis of the type and nature of swimming pool ownership in the country and will publish a report outlining this in the coming period. This report will be central to the future development of swimming pool facilities. Regarding a new round of the LSSIF, I am committed to ensuring sustained investment in sports facilities to meet our ambitious goals for sports participation nationwide.”
“It is noted that no application was received for Loughrea swimming pool, although I know there has been local discussion about it. A number of representations have come in from the local area and from Government representatives about the potential for a swimming pool there. I encourage any prospective applicants to review the scheme guidelines and key priorities included as part of the 2024 round of LSSIF as part of their preparatory process for a future LSSIF round. These documents are readily accessible on the Department's website. It is important to note that while those resources can serve as a helpful reference, any new guidelines and conditions associated with a future round of the programme may differ from the previous round.”
“While the scheme is aimed primarily at national governing bodies, NGBs, and local authorities, it is also open to other bodies, including third level institutions, philanthropic funders, clubs and voluntary organisations to apply but such applications would necessarily have to be made and prioritised by a local authority or an NGB. The total investment from the large scale sport infrastructure fund since 2020 amounts to €297 million, with 68 projects receiving funding allocations, including nine swimming pool projects. The second round of the LSSIF, which commenced in April 2024, received an unprecedented demand for funding, amounting to €665 million from 96 different applications. In November 2024, grants totalling €173 million were announced, benefiting 35 individual projects, so 35 of the 96 which applied were funded through that.”
“I propose to take Questions Nos. 15 and 49 together. I congratulate Deputy O'Hara on his election and thank him for the question. I know there is a similar question about Carrickmacross from Deputy Carthy. My Department operates two capital funding programmes for sport, the community sports facilities fund, formerly known as the sports capital and equipment fund, and the large-scale sport infrastructure fund, LSSIF. Capital support for new swimming pools is now provided through the LSSIF. Projects for new swimming pools and the refurbishment of existing swimming pools are eligible to apply for grant funding under the LSSIF subject to the published guidelines and conditions of the scheme.”
“We must also look to see how we can further develop communal, municipal and community approaches to sports facilities which can be utilised by several sporting organisations so that we maximise and leverage the facilities that are in a locality. We need to make sure, for example, that we are working with the schools system as well so that we get the maximum impact from investments being made by local clubs, local volunteers and the State to get the maximum benefit for local communities.”
“I thank Deputies O'Shea and Burke who are very strong advocates for sport in Cork and in their local communities and for the development of facilities there. As a Government, we are massively committed to following through and seeing the investment that was made last October manifesting in improved facilities and services on the ground and to building further on that. The other key issue as we go forward for the next round is making sure that, where there are gaps for certain sports in particular parts of the country, we try to plug those gaps so that everyone has the opportunity to participate in the sports they are passionate about in their local communities and that the facilities and services are in place.”
“That is certainly something I will take on board in terms of making sure support is available for those who might need it so that their applications meet the criteria and are put together correctly. That is obviously important in terms of ensuring a successful outcome for applicants. In the most recent round of funding, the Department provided opportunities for clubs that were not successful to engage closely with the appeals process to determine the reasons and see if they could be rectified. It is fair to say that only a very small number of clubs did not get a grant and it was very clearly because they were not meeting the criteria at the time or some of the key requirements were not in place. There would have been engagement and it is important this was the case, but if there is any way we can strengthen that, we certainly will.”
“It is fair to say that across the board over the past generation we have seen a transformation in the sporting facilities we have in this country. We have also seen a transformation in the administration and governance of sport across all sporting organisations and that journey continues as we try to improve and develop further. We are very open to listening to any suggestions the Deputies, other Members of the Oireachtas or, indeed, clubs or anyone within the sporting sector might have to ensure the process works as effectively as possible next time around.”
“I thank Deputies Burke and O'Shea. I expect it to be spring 2026 when we open up for applications to be submitted and the expectation is that funding will be made available in the autumn period. That is certainly the timeline to which we are working. On Deputy Burke's point, we have just completed the appeals process and are now reviewing the operation and impact of it and how the whole process works. We want to make sure it is amended in any way necessary so that it works as effectively as possible for those applying and in terms of the impact and end return. We have seen phenomenal investment in sport and community facilities. Any funding we put into this gives an immense return to each community and is leveraged very strongly by every sporting organisation.”
“I anticipate that the next round should be announced early in 2026, with the consideration of the applications to follow and an announcement of funding later in 2026. So far, the pattern has been that, every two years approximately, there is a new round of allocations to clubs. I expect a similar timeline again.”
“The scoring system for regional applications was designed to reward applications from disadvantaged areas, applications that showed evidence of sharing and those that had engaged with the planning process. All invalid applicants were offered a three-week period to appeal the Department's decision, the deadline for which was 29 October. For every appeal, the application was reviewed by an officer other than the original assessor. All appellants have now been informed of the outcome of their appeals. In line with previous rounds of the programme, a review of the current funding round will now be undertaken. That review will be used to inform the timing of the next round of the community sport facilities fund.”
“In September 2024, €230 million was invested in grants for sports clubs and facilities under phase 2 of the community sport facilities fund. More than a quarter of a billion euro was also allocated to community sports clubs and facilities in total in 2024, taking account of the earlier equipment-only allocations. There were 3,211 applications for the 2023 round, 365 of which were from organisations in the Deputy's county of Cork. In September, allocations were confirmed and the amount allocated to Cork organisations was just over €29.5 million. Given the scale of funding available and the time required to assess all local applications, the recommended allocation amounts for valid local applications were calculated using the Pobal index as the primary calculation factor.”
“Government investment means our participants have good facilities at their disposal and can train to compete to the best of their ability, whatever that is. Government investment in sports is visible in our clubs and facilities. It is also visible in the achievements of our athletes at the highest levels, as we saw with the successful summer Olympic and Paralympic Games. The Government is committed to continuing to increase its investment during our time in office. In terms of the funding in place, the community sport facilities fund, CSFF, is the primary vehicle for Government support for the development of sports and recreation facilities and the purchase of non-personal sports equipment. CSFF grants provide new or improved facilities, helping people of all ages and backgrounds to participate in clubs, who benefit greatly from this.”
“I congratulate Deputy O'Shea on a very strong election result. I wish him well in his term of office. I propose to take Questions Nos. 6 and 11 together. The programme for Government, in which the Deputy had a role in negotiations, commits to supporting the sporting ecosystem so that more people can participate in and reap the benefits of sport and fulfil their potential from grassroots right up to high performance level. We will achieve this through a number of measures, including maintaining sports funding to get more people participating in all levels of sport, particularly targeting cohorts in society where there are lower than average participation levels. This includes people with disabilities and older people. Sport adds so much to our lives as spectators, grassroots participants or those who excel in their field.”
“I am committed to developing an academy structure, but we must be very clear about how we step it out, ensuring it is impactful and there is a clear plan and direction of travel in place for that journey.”
“I refer as well to the undoubted potential we have as a soccer nation to improve even further and to see the pipeline coming through, right up to the League of Ireland level and internationally from there on. This is something I want to work on with everyone in soccer and with the FAI to ensure we develop this potential.”
“I see real potential here as to how we can develop an academy system. Obviously, we have to make sure we develop it in a way that is sustainable and makes the biggest impact. The plans are not there yet as to how exactly that would work. I want to see how they would work. We have given some funding to the FAI to do an audit and to put an administrator in place, to see how we can step that out. Then, as to how we follow through from a Government point of view, I want to see real results in that regard and liaise closely with the FAI on the exact plans as to how this might be stepped out. The Government has massively committed to grassroots sports and to seeing people being able to participate at this level, as well as to excel and develop their full potential.”
“Significantly increased support started in 2019, following on from the financial collapse of the FAI at that time, which led to a significant increase in the allocation to the FAI, targeted primarily towards coaching and development at grassroots level, particularly with young people. I think there is real potential in developing an academy structure as part of that ecosystem. I want to make sure that any investment we put into that is directed in a way that makes a real impact and delivers real results. I have outlined how we are engaging with the FAI, how we have already provided financial support to do an audit and to put in place an academy administrator and then how we step it out from there.”
“We have seen great momentum and great attendances in recent times in the League of Ireland. There was a great example recently in the Aviva Stadium, with 33,000 people attending. I want to work with the FAI and all in grassroots football to build on that momentum in order to make sure that right across the country the support and development opportunities are there for young children to get involved in this sport, to excel and to develop their participation. At the moment, the Government, through the memorandum of understanding with the FAI, has significant support in place.”
“That consisted of €54.5 million in November from the large-scale sport infrastructure fund to football stadium projects at Finn Harps, Dalymount Park, Sligo Rovers and Wexford FC. Also, we saw €50.5 million allocated from the community sports and equipment fund to support the development of grassroots club football facilities nationwide. The Government is committed to supporting the development of Ireland's sporting ecosystem, and the support that continues to be provided for football is a key example of that commitment.”
“It will be a key input to considering the next steps to be taken while noting that decisions in this regard are primarily a matter for the FAI as an independent sports body. Considerable additional financial support has been provided by the State for the development of football in Ireland, particularly through the 2020-23 memorandum of understanding between the Government and the FAI. That MOU provided for funding of €5.8 million per annum to the FAI during that four-year period up to 2023 for football development. A new MOU was signed last December, which increased State funding to the FAI to €6 million per annum for the period 2024-27. In terms of State support for the development of facilities, more than €100 million was allocated to Irish football in the second half of last year.”
“I thank Deputy Byrne and congratulate her on her election and her spokespersonship. In response to the question, the programme for Government, as the Deputy knows, includes a commitment to explore new mechanisms for the creation of football academies with the FAI and the League of Ireland. My Department has provided additional funding to the FAI to enable it to produce a report on developing football academies. This will include a baseline audit of existing academy structures and needs, and that will then inform the development of an academy development plan. This funding will also enable the FAI to appoint an academies administrator, to support the development of new academy programmes and to track their impact. The funding will be channelled through Sport Ireland. I very much look forward to receiving the report from Sport Ireland.”
“It will provide stakeholders with an opportunity to feed into and influence the Commission’s simplification agenda. The Department of Enterprise, Trade and Employment will review the content of the omnibus proposal when it is published in the context of improving competitiveness while, importantly, seeking to strike the appropriate balance between providing effective protections for stakeholders and ensuring that the measures to be implemented by companies, and in particular SMEs, are clear, proportionate and, importantly, enforceable. The Department will also engage with the appropriate working group in Brussels as discussions on the proposal progress. I will relay the Senator's contribution today and her points in this matter to the Minister for Enterprise, Trade and Employment for his full consideration.”
“I will relay the Senator's question, perspective and views as expressed here to the Minister for Enterprise, Trade and Employment following from this Commencement matter and the discussion. As I have indicated, we are seeing a particular focus on simplification and burden reduction at EU level with a view to improving EU competitiveness generally and ensuring there are not disproportionate burdens on business, particularly SMEs. That has been articulated in the Letta and Draghi reports as the Senator knows. As part of the simplification agenda at EU level, each Commissioner is required to hold at least two implementation dialogue meetings with stakeholders to assess progress and identify areas needing attention for EU policies which will deliver real impactful results. That is an important part of the process as it will provide-----”
“I understand that the European Commission in recent weeks held a number of round-table consultations with representatives from industry and civil society as part of its preparations for the development of the omnibus proposal on sustainability. I also understand that this proposal is formally being presented to EU ambassadors today, as Senator Higgins outlined, and will subsequently be published. Officials in the Department of Enterprise, Trade and Employment will carefully examine the content of the proposal once published and will engage with the appropriate working group in Brussels, prior to the proposal being finalised.”
“The mission letters from President von der Leyen to each Commissioner have effectively mainstreamed the better regulation agenda, with all Commissioners now tasked with reducing administrative burdens and reviewing the legislation within their remit. The Department of Enterprise, Trade and Employment has responsibility for both the corporate sustainability due diligence directive, CSDDD, and the corporate sustainability reporting directive, CSRD, and is supportive of their objectives, which aim to promote responsible business conduct. The EU taxonomy regulation is under the remit of the Minister for Finance, Deputy Paschal Donohoe.”
“The European Commission’s work programme for 2025, which was published last week, places a strong focus on simplification and proposes a series of so-called omnibus proposals to include an omnibus package on simplification, investment simplification, small mid-caps and the removal of paper requirements and a digital package. Ireland welcomes the increased focus on better regulation and simplification at EU level. This includes the appointment of Commissioner Dombrovskis as Commissioner for implementation and simplification with responsibility for co-ordinating the Commission’s burden reduction and simplification initiatives.”
“I thank Senator Higgins for raising this important matter to the Minister for Enterprise, Trade and Employment. There is a particular focus on simplification and burden reduction at EU level following on from the Letta and Draghi reports published in 2024. The European Council has called for a simplification revolution by ensuring a clear, simple and smart regulatory framework for businesses and drastically reducing administrative, regulatory and reporting burdens, in particular for small and medium enterprises. One of the key objectives to be implemented without delay was reducing reporting requirements by at least 25% in the first half of 2025.”
“None of us, particularly parents, want to see a child not get the speech and language support whenever they need it. Collectively, we all have to press to try to make progress as quickly as we can. I thank the Senator for raising this matter on behalf of his local CDNT, of parents and of children in his area of New Ross. Following this morning's Commencement matter, I will certainly relay to the Department the points he made and the priority needed to backfill those posts.”
“I again thank Senator Byrne. I assure him that, as I have outlined, the Government will continue to work with the HSE to take every step possible to try to ensure the posts are filled. It is not an issue of will or funding; the funding, the desire and the commitment are there. There has not been an expression of interest so far for a couple of those posts I outlined. We want to see the posts filled. It is a particular issue in New Ross. It is also an issue in many other parts of the country, including my own. To address that, we need to see a much stronger pipeline, so steps are being taken with the regard to training and those coming through and qualifying because that is crucial to ensure all of these positions are filled. The Senator is absolutely right that early intervention is crucial.”
“In addition, placements on CDNTs will continue to be expanded alongside a continued expansion in the number of places in higher education to increase the pipeline of future therapists. Measures will also be provided to assist with sustainably addressing the assessment of need backlog while freeing up resources available to provide therapeutic supports to children with complex needs. In addition, some bespoke initiatives designed to provide specialist supports for children with complex needs will be supported. While recruitment and retention of staff to CDNTs remains a considerable challenge, I affirm Government’s commitment as well as that of the HSE to exploring all avenues to improve access to CDNTs for children and their families in New Ross and across the country.”
“The HSE national recruitment service continues to explore a range of options to enhance the recruitment and retention of staff to CDNTs. To optimise recruitment into funded agencies, the HSE is facilitating direct access for funded agencies to existing HSE health and social care professionals, HSCP, panels which will shorten the recruitment process and will provide direct access to competent and eligible candidates. Officials will work with the HSE to seek to introduce specific recruitment and retention incentives for therapists to work in CDNTs, along with a CDNT sponsorship programme with bursaries for fourth year and postgraduate students linked to acceptance of conditional job offers.”
“Universal supports are also available to children in the CDNT such as a workshop on supporting your child's feeding, and sensory pathway and understanding autism supports. I acknowledge the difficulties faced by children and their families seeking to access the services of CDNTs, in New Ross and across the country. The continued development and support of our 93 CDNTs as they seek to ensure equitable access to services for all children with complex needs is a priority for the Government. The Government is committed to addressing the underlying recruitment and retention issues to fully staff each team to maximum capacity. These challenges are reflective of the issues affecting the wider health and social care sector.”
“As the Senator will be aware, one senior speech and language therapist, SLT, post and two staff grade SLT posts have been allocated to the children’s disability network team, CDNT, area in New Ross. Regrettably, the senior SLT post and one staff grade SLT post are currently vacant, while the staff member in the filled staff grade SLT post is currently on statutory leave. There are ongoing efforts by the CDNT to recruit into these posts with the senior SLT post recently being accepted and currently in the HR pre-clearance process. Unfortunately, however, no expressions of interest have yet been received for either of the vacant staff grade SLT posts. As an interim measure the CDNT is currently providing cross-cover SLT services for the purpose of providing urgent feeding, eating, drinking and swallowing difficulties support.”