Paudge Connolly (Cavan-Monaghan, Independent)
Link to this: Individually | In context

Question 87: To ask the Tánaiste and Minister for Health and Children the ratio of speech and language therapists per 1,000 of the population; the comparison of this ratio with that prevailing in the UK, France, Germany, Netherlands, Italy and Spain; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [3693/06]

Mary Harney (Dublin Mid West, Progressive Democrats)
Link to this: Individually | In context

Current information on the number of speech and language therapists in the UK, France, Germany, the Netherlands, Italy and Spain and consequently the ratios per 1,000 of the population as compared with this country, is not held by the Department of Health and Children. The report, Current and Future Supply and Demand Conditions in the Labour Market for Certain Professional Therapists, prepared by Peter Bacon and Associates and published in July 2001, stated that international data on the ratios of therapists, including speech and language therapists, to the population are rare. The report also highlighted that definitions and means of measurement differ and consequently reliable measurements are difficult to obtain. However, the report provided information on the ratio of therapists to population in England and Ireland at that time. This information determined that there were 9.6 speech and language therapists per 100,000 of population in England compared with 8.1 in Ireland.

There were 548 whole time equivalent speech and language therapists employed in the public health service at end September 2005. This represents an increase of 162 or 42% over the number employed at end December 2000 and reflects significant increases in numbers employed in promotional grades. This substantial improvement in employment levels, together with the quadrupling of the number of training places in speech and language therapy, from 25 to 100 places, arising from the implementation of the recommendations of the Bacon report, will continue to contribute to significant gains in population ratios for the speech and language therapy profession on an ongoing basis.