Seán Crowe (Dublin South West, Sinn Fein)
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Question 336: To ask the Minister for Health and Children the number of speech and language therapists working in schools here. [34157/06]

Tim O'Malley (Limerick East, Progressive Democrats)
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The Deputy's question relates to the management and delivery of health and personal social services, which are the responsibility of the Health Service Executive under the Health Act 2004. Accordingly, my Department has requested the Parliamentary Affairs Division of the Executive to arrange to have this matter investigated and to have a reply issued directly to the Deputy.

Seán Crowe (Dublin South West, Sinn Fein)
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Question 337: To ask the Minister for Health and Children if she acknowledges the need for a national strategy to produce sufficient numbers of speech and language therapists. [34158/06]

Tim O'Malley (Limerick East, Progressive Democrats)
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In response to concerns regarding labour shortages, my Department commissioned a report from Dr. Peter Bacon and Associates on current and future supply and demand conditions to 2015 in the labour market for speech and language therapists, occupational therapists and physiotherapists. The report was published in 2001.

Arising from its recommendations three additional speech and language therapy courses commenced in the 2003/2004 academic year in UCC, NUIG and UL, providing an additional 75 training places in speech and language therapy. This expansion in training numbers was identified in the Bacon report as sufficient to meet the long-term demand-supply balance for speech and language therapists in Ireland. The first graduates from the two year Masters course in UL completed their studies in June, 2005. The first graduates from the BSc courses in UCC and NUIG will graduate in 2007.

Under the Health Act 2004, the Health Service Executive is responsible for the recruitment of its staff. I am advised that it is at present undertaking a national and international recruitment campaign to fill current vacancies and development posts and that the situation will be reviewed in 2007.