Written answers

Tuesday, 18 December 2018

Department of Education and Skills

Speech and Language Therapy

Photo of Thomas ByrneThomas Byrne (Meath East, Fianna Fail)
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184. To ask the Minister for Education and Skills the number of speech therapists engaged full-time in the demonstration project on speech therapy. [52758/18]

Photo of Thomas ByrneThomas Byrne (Meath East, Fianna Fail)
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236. To ask the Minister for Education and Skills the actions taken to date in 2018 to improve access to speech and language therapy through the education system; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [53218/18]

Photo of Joe McHughJoe McHugh (Donegal, Fine Gael)
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I propose to answer Questions Nos. 184 and 236 together.

The Deputy will be aware that a demonstration project to provide in-school and pre-school therapy services has been introduced for the 2018/19 school year.

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 project is being managed and co-ordinated by the National Council for Special Education with clinical support also being provided by two HSE Therapy Managers which have been assigned to the project.

It is intended that 19 Speech and Language Therapists will assigned to the Project, of which 16 are currently in place. It is expected that the remaining 3 Speech and Language Therapists will be in place by January 2019.

It is also intended that 12 Occupational Therapists will be assigned to the Project, of which 11 are currently in place. It is expected that the remaining Occupational Therapist will be assigned by January 2019.

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 project is taking place in Community Healthcare Organisation (CHO) 7 Region of South West Dublin, Kildare, and West Wicklow.

This region has been selected to ensure that the pre-school and in-school therapy model can be tested in both urban and rural locations and with a suitable mix of various types of schools and pre-schools.

75 schools, including a representative sample of primary, post primary, and special schools will take part in the project.

75 Pre-school settings associated with primary schools participating in the project are being included in order to provide for therapy interventions to be made at the earliest possible time and to create linkages between pre-school and primary school provision.

In total, 150 settings will participate in the demonstration project.

The list of the participating schools and pre-schools has been published on my Departments website.

The model is designed to provide for a clinical Speech and Language and Occupational 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.

The project will be evaluated over the course of the 2018/19 school year with considerations regarding any possible extension of the service following the evaluation process.

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