Roderic O'Gorman (Dublin West, Green Party) | Oireachtas source

I fully agree with the Deputy on the challenges of recruitment. It is the big challenge in disabilities services right now. The core solution to that is to train more health and social care professionals, occupational therapists, speech and language therapists, physiotherapists and psychiatrists. We need more of them because the level of demand and need has increased, both because of enhanced levels of autism among children and young people and also because older people with a disability are living longer, and that is good, but it means their needs are greater and we need more therapists there. That is why the longer-term piece that I and the Minister of State, Deputy Rabbitte, have undertaken with the Taoiseach and the Minister, Deputy O'Donovan, to open up more CAO places for these courses is really important. This year, universities all over Ireland will significantly increase places in occupational therapy and speech and language therapy. We are doing some work with Belfast as well. It will take a number of years for those students to be trained. That is why the interim measures I set out in terms of that international recruitment to get people into positions now is really important.

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