Aindrias Moynihan (Cork North West, Fianna Fail) | Oireachtas source

About 150 students graduate in speech and language therapy from five colleges each year, along with a further 150 graduates in occupational therapy. The figure for psychologist posts vary, given people have to go on and get a PhD. It is a longer, more difficult and more expensive route of qualification and that, too, needs to be examined in order that people can reach it. Likewise, about 200 people graduate as social workers.

At the same time, there are large vacancy rates in the HSE, at 36% for speech and language therapists, 40% for occupational therapists and 39% for psychologists. The Minister with responsibility for higher education has announced additional places for medicine, pharmacy and a number of other courses, to come into being in the next two years. Is there any indication of similar places becoming available in the next college year for these other essential disciplines?

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