Alan Farrell (Dublin Fingal, Fine Gael)
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806. To ask the Minister for Education and Skills if his Department is increasing the number of occupational therapy places for entry in September 2023; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [26312/23]

Alan Farrell (Dublin Fingal, Fine Gael)
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807. To ask the Minister for Education and Skills if his Department is increasing the number of speech and language therapy, SALT, places for entry in September 2023; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [26313/23]

Alan Farrell (Dublin Fingal, Fine Gael)
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808. To ask the Minister for Education and Skills if his Department is increasing the number of physiotherapy places for entry in September 2023; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [26314/23]

Alan Farrell (Dublin Fingal, Fine Gael)
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809. To ask the Minister for Education and Skills if his Department is increasing the number of psychology places for entry in September 2023; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [26315/23]

Simon Harris (Wicklow, Fine Gael)
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I propose to take Questions Nos. 806 to 809, inclusive, together.

Significant engagement is ongoing between my Department, the Department of Health and the Higher Education sector to develop a joined-up approach to address system level demand in allied health disciplines.

Healthcare programmes are, by their nature, complex in delivery. There are some fundamental issues, which are in the control of the health sector, which are prerequisites to enable expansion. These relate to guarantees of clinical placements, detailed and robust workforce planning projections and engagement with regulators. In addition to qualifying additional health professionals, success in the recruitment and retention of health professionals by the health sector will be key.

In mid-2022, my Department established a working group to identify and address barriers to expansion in the health and social care professions. This working group has included representatives from the Department of Health, the HSE, CORU, the higher education sector as well as my Department.

This group is looking at both incremental expansion from September 2023, and enabling more substantial expansion in the medium term. The HSE is developing a Framework for Practice Placement Education. I understand that the Department of Health have also recently appointed a HSCP Officer to lead on enabling expansion in health and social care professions.

Officials from my Department are engaging with Higher Education Institutions to ascertain possible expansion on existing programmes from 2023. My officials are also engaging with the Department of Health as additional places will require the allocation of resources, and also require placements to be put in place by the HSE and the Department of Health.