Written answers

Wednesday, 24 October 2018

Department of Education and Skills

Educational Supports

Photo of Margaret Murphy O'MahonyMargaret Murphy O'Mahony (Cork South West, Fianna Fail)
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151. To ask the Minister for Education and Skills if 19 speech and language therapists and 12 occupational therapists have been specifically recruited by the HSE since May 2018 to work in a pilot project to bring specialised therapists into schools and preschools; and if not, the number of each specifically recruited for the projects. [44045/18]

Photo of Joe McHughJoe McHugh (Donegal, Fine Gael)
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The Deputy will be aware that it was recently announced that a demonstration project to provide in-school and pre-school therapy services will be introduced for the 2018/19 school year.

The project will be managed and co-ordinated by the National Council for Special Education.

The demonstration project is being developed by a Working Group which includes representatives from the Departments of Education, Children and Youth Affairs, Health, and the Health Service Executive (HSE).

The purpose of the project is to test a model of tailored therapeutic supports that allows for early intervention in terms of providing speech and language and occupational therapy within ‘educational settings’. This innovative pilot will complement existing HSE funded provision of essential therapy services. 

The model will be that of inter professional collaboration with therapists and school staff working together to identify needs, plan interventions, and monitor progress and supporting school staff and parents to delivery indirect interventions, on a supervised basis.

It will be designed to provide for a clinical Speech and Language Therapy service delivery model of Specialist, Targeted and universal supports in line with best practice for pupils which will see them receiving supports along a continuum of provision depending on the extent or severity of needs of the child/pupil.

It is intended that 19 speech and language therapists and 12 occupational therapists will be recruited by the HSE and assigned to work with the pilot project.

To date, 16 speech and language therapists and 12 occupational therapists have been recruited and assigned to work with project. Two therapy managers have also been assigned to the project. The HSE is continuing to seek to recruit the remaining 3 speech and language therapists and it is hoped that this process can be completed in the near future.

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