Bernard Durkan (Kildare North, Fine Gael)
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Question 653: To ask the Minister for Education and Science when she expects to provide for the full requirements in regard to speech and language therapy at all schools throughout County Kildare; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [34624/06]

Mary Hanafin (Dún Laoghaire, Fianna Fail)
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I wish to advise the Deputy that responsibility for the provision of speech and language therapy services rests with the Health Service Executive. However, I can confirm that my Department has sanctioned 59 special classes for children with specific speech and language disorder. Each class can cater for up to 7 children and the children have access to a speech and language therapist.

In May 2002, the 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 courses. These increased intakes will result in a significant increase in the number of Speech and Language Therapists graduating from the third level sector.