Emer Currie (Dublin West, Fine Gael)
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8. To ask the Minister for Education and Skills if he will consider expanding third level course places related to therapies in the disability sector, as part of workforce planning; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [26303/25]

Emer Currie (Dublin West, Fine Gael)
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I am asking for an update on the expansion of third level course places for therapies in the disability sector and the Minister's role in the workforce planning of therapists needed in children's disability network teams, CDNTs, primary care teams and schools. There has been much focus this week on assessments of need. The programme for Government and the report of the Joint Committee on Autism are clear in their recommendations.

James Lawless (Kildare North, Fianna Fail)
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On the disability framework and the challenge posed, this Government wants to support people with disabilities in the fullest possible way to allow them to live the most meaningful and impactful lives as possible, and with as much support from the State as possible. This fundamental goal is writ large in the programme for Government and the entire Government is committed to delivering on it. Indeed, the Taoiseach has convened a Cabinet subcommittee, which is meeting regularly and of which I am a member, to address this societal and State goal. I put on record my commitment, as have all my colleagues in government, to the supporting this important issue.

My officials and I are working closely with other Departments to support workforce planning responses by creating additional places in areas of acute skills need, ensuring a pipeline of qualified graduates for our health and social care workforce.

More generally, my Department has a skills matrix and looks to the future to assess what skills are needed at particular times for different economic and societal goals and challenges. We have that skills framework and skills planning ongoing anyway, but we certainly have a renewed focus on the health and social care workforce at present. That work has been ongoing. A recent joint memorandum committed both Departments - the Department of Health and my Department - to funding the expansion of key healthcare disciplines, including therapies.

Last week I announced a new pharmacy course in the University of Galway, which will start this September. There is a new dentistry programme in the Royal College of Surgeons that is also available for this September. Further expansion across medicine, pharmacy and veterinary will come on stream in 2026. We are expanding the number of professional healthcare courses that are out there, and across the country as well. That builds on existing progress, with nearly 1,000 additional places created in health and social care programmes in recent years.

Further additional places were provided for this September. These include 15 additional places on the speech and language therapy BSc programme at the University of Galway, 40 additional places for occupational therapy at the same university and 15 additional paediatric medicine places through the Galway BSc programme. I have to acknowledge that Galway is playing its part. There are also ten additional physiotherapy places at the Royal College of Surgeons in Ireland. It is a work in progress. We continue to examine ways to increase the throughput and output of therapists of all types in the system.

Emer Currie (Dublin West, Fine Gael)
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While there are issues with how our public services are designed, the greatest barrier disabled people face in accessing appropriate services is resourcing and understaffing across assessment of needs, therapeutic and clinical services, medical services and education services, all of which are necessary if our disabled community are to lead full lives with the experiences and opportunities they deserve. We need a pipeline of therapists for the future based on shared projections across health, disability and education. The programme for Government commits to doubling the number of college places in this area and delivering a workforce plan to meet both immediate and long-term needs. What engagement is taking place with the Department of Health to increase the number of places across OT, SLT, physio, psychology, social work and nursing to ensure these numbers match the numbers of clinical placements? Is engagement taking place with the Department of disability to ensure the number of clinical placements will meet current and future needs? What consultation is there with professional bodies about a long-term workforce planning strategy?

James Lawless (Kildare North, Fianna Fail)
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I mentioned some of the places we have provided and we intend to provide further places in these areas. There are also agreements regarding healthcare provision with Ulster University and Queen's University Belfast resulting in a further 389 places over the last two years. I visited Queen's University Belfast over the Easter break and met the president, Ian Greer. I also met some of the students from the Republic who are attending courses there. I am told they are excelling in their fields. They were certainly great ambassadors for the scheme. That provision from the Northern universities is welcome.

We are also engaging with stakeholders across the sector to determine the number of additional places for 2025. We have provided multiple additional places already - numbering 1,000 last year - but I want to keep on providing further options. I recently asked the HEA to run an expressions of interest programme. The Higher Education Authority put out a call to the universities to see which universities were placed to offer further provision, increasing the output of therapists across all of the different healthcare disciplines. That is going extremely well. We have had very positive responses to it. I intend to update the Cabinet subcommittee on that. I may return to that in my next supplementary response.

Emer Currie (Dublin West, Fine Gael)
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I acknowledge the additional places and the work of the Tánaiste and of the former Minister in the Department, Deputy O'Donovan, in this area. However, I am really talking about long-term workforce planning and how it needs to be linked with collaboration and shared data. For instance, the Disability Capacity Review to 2032, published by the HSE, states that 3.5% of the child population require special input from CDNTs. The Joint Committee on Autism's report speaks about the overall need to tackle unmet need. The Department of Education is using figures such as 5%. Does the Minister agree that collaboration across these Departments is essential? Are we using levers used in other models to incentivise people to take up places in this area? I refer to Springboard and the model we use for clinical psychologists, who get 60% of their studies funded and get paid for their placements. Other countries provide forgiveness on student loans.

John Connolly (Galway West, Fianna Fail)
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My question, Question No. 17, is remarkably similar to Deputy Currie's. I was somewhat surprised that they were not grouped together. The Minister has already answered my question, which was to ask the number of additional places in the area of life sciences provided for next year. I am delighted with the Minister's response and that the number of places in a number of these areas has increased in the school of life sciences at my own local institution, the National University of Ireland, Galway. Like Deputy Currie, I encourage the Minister to look at the many ways in which we can ensure we are producing more occupational therapists, speech and language therapists, psychologists and physiotherapists, particularly given what we have heard about the need in this area throughout the week.

David Maxwell (Cavan-Monaghan, Fine Gael)
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Is the Deputy happy enough that his question has now been dealt with?

John Connolly (Galway West, Fianna Fail)
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I am.

James Lawless (Kildare North, Fianna Fail)
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I thank Deputy Connolly for his support in my visit to Galway last week. He is a great advocate for the college and works closely with the team. I believe he is a former student. That was a very good engagement.

I agree with both Deputies on the real need to examine all options and all levers at our disposal to increase the number of disability workers. These include Springboard. I believe it could include apprenticeships and I have asked my further education teams to look at options to address this demand within that system along with more traditional higher education provision. A great deal of work is being done. Just this week, my officials had another official-level group engagement with different Departments. Deputy Currie asked what engagement is happening with other Departments. I have met the Minister for Health on the matter and we have had bilateral meetings on it. I have also met with the Minister for disability, Deputy Foley, and others. We have a Cabinet subcommittee that meets very regularly to progress the matter. It is an all-of-government priority. It is essential. As Deputy Currie has mentioned, placements are a challenge. My Department and my team can provide the courses and the education but the HSE and the different workplace settings need to offer placements to match. One cannot work without the other. That is an ongoing challenge.