Peadar Tóibín (Meath West, Sinn Fein)
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340. To ask the Minister for Health the number of speech therapists and psychologists with functional Irish that are working in the educational sector; the number of these professionals working in Gaeltacht areas; the mechanisms by which his Department ensures that Gaeltacht schools have access to health professionals with functional Irish; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [53062/17]

Simon Harris (Wicklow, Fine Gael)
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In accordance with the Official Languages Act 2003, my Department, the Health Service Executive and the other health agencies which come under the aegis of my Department are committed to ensuring that customers who wish to conduct their business through Irish can be facilitated to the greatest extent possible. The Health Service Executive has statutory responsibility for the provision of health and social care services, including psychological and speech and language therapy services in Gaeltacht areas and therefore, I have asked the HSE to respond to you directly.

My Department has made enquiries of the Department of Education and Skills in relation to the provision of psychological and speech therapy services in the educational sector. The Department of Education and Skills has informed us that the National Educational Psychological Service (NEPS) provides an educational psychological service to schools. It is primarily a school based service with the aim of supporting teachers and parents in meeting the needs of learners in schools. In assigning psychologists to Gaeltacht schools and Gaelscoileanna, NEPS has some 58 staff identified as competent in the delivery of service through the medium of Irish. For a number of years NEPS has provided an Irish language programme for its Psychologists with the assistance of Gaeleagras Teo. and an Chomhairle um Oideachas Gaeltachta agus Gaelscolaíochta (COGG). The programme comprises of a general language component and a technical language component suited to the needs of an education psychology service.

The Department of Education and Skills does not directly provide broad based speech and language therapy services within the education sector, such facility being provided to school-going age children by the HSE or agencies funded by it. However, the National Council for Special Education does have three speech and language therapy staff with the National Behavioural Support Service which has input into partner post-primary schools.