Simon Harris (Wicklow, Fine Gael) | Oireachtas source

The type of therapy would determine my response to the question. We have provided funding for an additional 100 therapy posts in the health service this year. We need more speech and language therapists, occupational therapists and others. The Deputy's party froze such recruitment, sadly, which should be acknowledged. The Deputy may have the solutions today but a recruitment moratorium was introduced by his party. He is the party spokesperson on health.

That Government introduced a recruitment freeze, stopped hiring speech and language therapists and occupational therapists and did not replace those who were on maternity leave. We are endeavouring to catch up. Not only that, we are also trying to do things differently. The Minister for Education and Skills and I have brought forward an integrated programme of speech and language therapy and occupational therapy in schools, including in our constituency, for the first time ever. It is showing real benefits in west Wicklow and other parts of the country. I would like to see us make further progress made in budget 2020.