Michael Healy-Rae (Kerry, Independent)
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663. To ask the Minister for Health if work placements will be provided for physiotherapy students (details supplied) in Ireland; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [15999/22]

Stephen Donnelly (Wicklow, Fianna Fail)
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The HSE is legally required to facilitate practice education underSection 7 (4)the Health Act 2004.

Due to the Covid-19 pandemic and related issues, the HSE has identified critical shortages in practice placements for Health and Social Care Professional students including physiotherapy. The focus of the HSE is on supporting practice placement for the domestic supply primarily.

The Health and Social Care Professional education programmes report significant challenges in securing sufficient practice placements for Health and Social Care Professional entry to practice programmes, without which Health and Social Care Professional students in Ireland cannot complete their programmes, graduate and join the workforce. There is very limited capacity for supporting practice education for programmes outside of Ireland.

The HSE is working with key stakeholders to identify potential solutions and the resources required to address issues relating to sufficient supply of practice placements for Health and Social Care Professionals. The priority of the HSE is to work with the Higher Education Institutes to enable the placements required for the progression of students through their educational programmes and to enable completion, graduation, and registration of the final year students to ensure timely supply of health and Social Care Professionals into the workforce.