Joan Collins (Dublin South Central, Independents 4 Change) | Oireachtas source

I welcome the Minister this afternoon and what he outlined about PART 4 funding. It looks like it is being taken seriously and that the colleges are pre-empting and implementing the PART 4 funding and adhering to the policies in that regard. How long will it take to broaden that out to the 19 projects? Unless people with autism and disabilities reach their full potential as much as they can in primary and secondary school, they will not be able to go to third level. Has there been much progress on the provision of courses for speech and language therapists, physiotherapists, or occupational therapists? Are there plans to increase the number of places on accredited courses in the next year or two in order for people to gain those qualifications? Unless we put in the structure at that level to assist children developing to the best of their ability to go into the workplace or to college, the work that has been done by the witnesses will not impact where it should.

A point was made about apprenticeships. The target is to increase the percentage of employees in the public sector from 3% to 6%. It would be very good if that was achieved. I welcome the fact that the Minister is looking at that area but I believe it is the foundations that we must put in place. Unless we have the speech and language therapists, occupational therapists, and physiotherapists on the ground to develop and support these people, they will not have the opportunities to go to further education or the places will not be attainable by many students in secondary school.