James Reilly (Dublin North, Fine Gael) | Oireachtas source

We will do so on Report Stage. I will report back on the advice we receive from the Department of Justice and Equality and the Office of the Attorney General.

With regard to Deputy Ó Caoláin's concern about speech and language therapy, this is a major problem and something which also applies to physiotherapists. They achieve 550 points in their leaving certificates and study for four years but end up working in McDonald's or leaving the country. I have been in discussions with the Department of Social Protection about establishing a JobBridge programme to allow them get a year's experience in the community. Even though colleges will state these are fully trained physiotherapists, it is a bit like the intern year; one might be finished one's qualification, but one needs practical experience in the community also. We are trying to work on this. As the Deputy rightly said, people are screaming for physiotherapists and speech and language therapists. We need them in the community and there is the capacity to have them engaged through mechanisms other than being directly employed by the State to make their services available to people. We are certainly addressing this. I share the Deputy's concerns.

Even if the committee were to vote through this amendment and force it upon me, what would I call the people involved? Under what heading would I put them in this grouping? Psychological therapists is not a legal term.