Simon Harris (Wicklow, Fine Gael) | Oireachtas source

I can. I am very committed to ensuring this happens concerning therapy areas, which includes speech and language therapy. I am working closely with the Minister for Children, Equality, Disability, Integration and Youth, Deputy O'Gorman, and the Minister of State, Deputy Rabbitte, on this issue. I think we have an opportunity to take a step-change approach to the size of the education sector in respect of the health service and our therapy provision. Without going back into former Minister for Health mode, this is just one part of the challenge. Other reforms are needed. I have seen the positive impact in my constituency of having speech and language therapy in reach in schools. There are other things to do in this regard, including recruitment and retention and the delivery of services, but clearly having enough people trained is an important thing.

In preparing to answer the Deputy's question, I explored the situation currently regarding speech and language therapy undergraduate enrolments. We have 376 spaces now on speech and language therapy courses. I expect this figure to increase by somewhere between 20 and 25 more places this September. I also expect to have a multi-annual plan for September 2024 and September 2025, working with the Minister for Children, Equality, Disability, Integration and Youth and the Minister of State, Deputy Rabbitte, to significantly increase further the number of places. I will keep in touch with the Deputy on this issue because I know he has an interest in it.

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