Simon Harris (Wicklow, Fine Gael) | Oireachtas source

The short answer is that work is being done. The Chair is right, in that the way to fix this is to train enough people in our own country. I am confident that we will make meaningful progress on that quickly in terms of creating places, but the Chair is also right that it will take a number of years to train that first year student. I am conscious that most of these professions, if not all, are independently regulated by a variety of bodies, including CORU, and rightly so. The Department of Health is examining this matter and we stand ready to assist in innovative ways. There could be graduate entry programmes where people with professional qualifications in one area wished to convert to or upskill or reskill in another. Another approach has to do with how the FET system is used. For example, a role called speech and language therapy assistant is available in the FET system. When I was in the Department of Health, the role of psychological assistant was created. This provided additional supports to people who did not need to see a psychologist or psychiatrist, with the assistant seeing them instead. The assistant would determine how many he or she could assist and provide them that access. Instead of everyone being put on a waiting list to see one or two people, there were more immediate actions. FET has a role to play in terms of other grades that can broaden the spectrum of people that are available to assist. I am conscious that these are policy decisions for other Departments, but my Department and sectors are willing to assist with innovative solutions to try to get the situation moving.