Michael Fitzmaurice (Roscommon-Galway, Independent)
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175. To ask the Minister for Education and Skills if external services to schools such as speech and language therapists during Covid-19 will be allowed to resume; if not, when the services will resume; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [27789/20]

Josepha Madigan (Dublin Rathdown, Fine Gael)
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The provision of Speech and Language Therapy services is the ressponsibility of the Health Service Executive (HSE) and the Department of Health.

The Deputy may be aware, however, that a demonstration project to provide in-school and pre-school therapy services took place over the course of the 2018/19 school year.

The project was developed by the Departments of Education, Children and Youth Affairs, Health, and the Health Service Executive and managed and co-ordinated by the National Council for Special Education. 

The purpose of the project was to test a model of tailored therapeutic supports by providing speech and language and occupational therapy within ‘educational settings’. This innovative pilot complemented existing HSE funded provision of essential therapy services.

The project took place in the Health Service Executive (HSE) Community Healthcare Organisation (CHO) 7 Region of South West Dublin, Kildare and West Wicklow. 

75 schools, including primary, post primary, and special schools took part. 

75 Pre-school settings associated with primary schools participating in the project were included. 

In total 150 settings participated in the demonstration project.  

Children who required speech and language therapy services and who were not attending one of the pilot schools continued to access services from the Health Service Executive. 

The in-school therapy model was designed to supplement, not to replace existing services. 

The project was evaluated over the course of the 2018/19 school year and this evaluation report is currently being finalised. 

The Demonstration Project has now been incorporated into the School Inclusion Model pilot now underway in CHO 7 region. This pilot which was interrupted due to the closure of schools because of Covid-19 will be evaluated over the current year and the outcome will inform future policy making in the area.