Pauline Tully (Cavan-Monaghan, Sinn Fein) | Oireachtas source

I welcome the Minister. In the first part of the meeting, we heard about many positive initiatives being taken. We heard from SOLAS, DCU and the Trinity Centre for People with Intellectual Disabilities. Great work is being done and it must be replicated around the country, especially the model that is being offered in Trinity College. Specific funding supports must be provided to do that.

There must also be equity in the system. We just heard that students undertaking the programme in TCD are not entitled to the SUSI grant because it is level 5 in a higher educational institute, but they would be entitled to it if they were doing the course in a PLC. They are also not entitled to the reduction of €1,000 in fees. That is something simple that could be rectified, and it must be addressed.

Following on from the point made by Deputy Collins, one of the biggest issues we all hear about is the waiting time for assessment and then for the required therapies and interventions following the assessment. The CDNTs are not fully staffed. I submitted a parliamentary question to the Minister in July, asking about the number of additional places available in universities for those who wish to study occupational therapy, physiotherapy and speech and language therapy. In his reply, he indicated that an additional nine places had been secured in physiotherapy for September 2022 and an additional eight places at level 6 for physiotherapy. He did not refer to any others. Is the Minister saying that they are the only additional places that were made available this year, because that seems very low? We hear there is a big shortage of places. Deputy Collins talked about retention being a significant issue and that it is something the HSE must address, but there is a need for all of these professions across the board, not just in children's disability services but also to assist older people, and in the community services and supports that are being offered to disabled people. I welcome the fact that there is ongoing engagement, but I hope it will be dramatically increased next year.