Pauline Tully (Cavan-Monaghan, Sinn Fein)
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85. To ask the Minister for Education and Skills the actions he has taken, in conjunction with the HSE and the Higher Education Authority, to identify capacity gaps within children's disability network teams and provide additional places on third-level courses to fill these gaps; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [15775/23]

Simon Harris (Wicklow, Fine Gael)
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The Programme for Government commits the Department of Health to working with the education sectors, regulators, and professional bodies to improve the availability of health professionals and reform their training to support integrated care across the entire health service.

Significant engagement is ongoing between my Department, the Department of Health, the Department of Children, Equality, Disability, Integration and Youth, and the Department of Education to develop a joined-up approach to meet system level demand in therapeutic disciplines for children’s disability services.

A working group, including representation from the Department of Health, HSE and CORU, as well as the higher education sector, has been established to specifically examine how placements can be secured to facilitate greater numbers of training places. The securing of appropriate placements is essential to building capacity in healthcare and therapeutic discipline programmes.

As the Deputy is aware the Higher Education Authority (HEA) recently sought expressions of interest from higher education institutions interested in building capacity in Dentistry, Pharmacy, Medicine, Nursing, and Veterinary from academic year 2024-25 or 2025-26. The HEA have advised higher education institutions of their intention to utilise a similar Expression of Interest process in 2023 to build capacity in the therapy disciplines.

Officials from my Department also participated in the Interdepartmental Working Group which was tasked with developing an Action Plan for Disability Services. The department will work with the HSE and the Department of Health and the Department of Children (DCEDIY) to progress actions arising out of this plan.