Fergus O'Dowd (Louth, Fine Gael)
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Question 684: To ask the Minister for Education and Science the number of graduates in speech and language and occupational therapy for the years 2004 and 2005; the number of third level places in speech and language and occupational therapy for the years 2006 to 2007; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [27547/06]

Mary Hanafin (Dún Laoghaire, Fianna Fail)
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In 2004 there were 21 Speech and Language Therapy graduates and 32 graduates from Occupational Therapy. The figures for the 2005 graduates are not yet fully available.

As the Deputy may be aware, in May 2002 my Department approved the provision of 175 additional therapy training places to tackle shortages of physiotherapists, occupational therapists and speech and language therapists as identified in the report "Current and Future Supply and Demand Conditions in the Labour Market for Certain Professional Therapists", which was undertaken by Dr. Peter Bacon and Associates in 2001.

Within this provision there was an increase of 75 places on new courses in Speech and Language Therapy and an additional 75 places on new Occupational Therapy courses. These increased intakes will result in a significant increase in the number of Speech and Language Therapists graduating from the third level sector. I have attached a chart detailing the number of students enrolled on these courses. Future entrants are expected to be in line with these numbers.