Simon Harris (Wicklow, Fine Gael) | Oireachtas source

I refer to 100 posts that the HSE is working to fill by the end of the year. I thank the organisation for its diligence in that regard.

One of the conversations we had earlier, which the CEO also addressed concerned the mapping exercise of what the workforce plan looks like for each of our new regional areas. The Deputy has been a big believer that we should return to regional structures. We are now doing that. What is the appropriate number of therapists, nurses, doctors and everyone else that we need in each region based on the population? I expect that the HSE, working with the Sláintecare office, will make really good progress on that in the coming months. The Deputy will be able to have a interesting exchange with the Sláintecare office when its personnel attend here at the end of this month.

Without pre-empting the budget, do I expect that we will be able to begin to make progress or build on the progress to date in 2020? Yes, I do, but we need to look beyond that. We need to have an understanding, as an Oireachtas, of what the next number of years look like. I mean if we do this in 2020 then what more do we need to do in 2021 to 2023 to get to where we need to get to in terms of speech and language therapy?

I unapologetically believe that the model has to be about more than just the health service building up its pool of therapists and the Department of Education and Skills building up its pool of special needs assistants and resource teachers. It has to be about using the dynamic that is the Departments of Education and Skills and the Department of Health working together. We have a pilot in place. Indeed, part of Deputy Durkan's constituency and certainly part of his county is involved in that. The model has been used in other countries where it works really well. Instead of a child going to a speech and language therapist, the speech and language therapist or occupational therapist goes to the school. We do not have the evidence base yet and await the evaluation of the programme but from talking to parents and teachers I already know that the service is beneficial . Yes, I think we can make more progress in 2020. Does Ms O'Connor wish to add anything?