Micheál Martin (Cork South Central, Fianna Fail) | Oireachtas source

There is a clear commitment in the programme for Government about recruitment of speech therapists, occupational therapists and physiotherapists, as well as other disciplines and professions. We hope to do some therapy through the school system by having a greater presence in schools, which is something I have been personally committed to for a long time. I think it is a better model for the development of children in the school setting, working with teachers and other educational professionals. Covid-19 has impacted on our plans and it has clearly drawn staff away from vital services in the early phase of the pandemic to do the testing and tracing that was discussed earlier and to lead that in given locations. That had a consequential negative impact on services.

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