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

I do not disagree with the Deputy at all. I agree with him that there is an issue with the budget going in and the services coming out. That needs to be constantly interrogated. There is no question about that. I am chairing a Cabinet subcommittee meeting on disability and we are establishing a disability unit in the Department of An Taoiseach to work hands-on with all the various Departments and get a co-ordinated approach in every single Department towards the disability issue.

On therapists, in July 2024 funding was provided to boost training places in speech and language therapy, occupational therapy and physiotherapy. This will lead to a 35% increase in student places this September. New student places were launched in September in Galway in speech and language therapy, occupational therapy and podiatry. We have instructed the Minister for higher education to go back to the universities for the next academic year to have a substantial increase in the number of places for therapists but that must be followed and paralleled with an increase in clinical training places for them. We are also engaging with CORU about registering qualified people from overseas much more quickly than is currently the case.

See this speech in context