Ivana Bacik (Dublin Bay South, Labour)
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269. To ask the Minister for Education and Skills his plans to provide additional capacity for the study of occupational therapy; and if he has engaged with the Minister for Health on the matter. [3734/25]

James Lawless (Kildare North, Fianna Fail)
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The provision of qualified graduates in Therapy disciplines is a priority for my Department. The delivery of healthcare programmes is complex and requires multiple parts of the health and education systems working together. .Practice education placements are essential to support clinical skills development and the application of theory to patient care and attainment of regulatory required standards of proficiency where applicable.

In July 2024, Government approved the prioritisation of funding to support the expansion of training places in priority healthcare areas including Speech and Language Therapy and Occupational Therapy, as well as Physiotherapy.

This funding will contribute to delivering expansion in the region of 35% in these vital disciplines over the next two academic years. Additional places commenced in September 2024 include expanded intakes on Speech and Language Therapy, Occupational Therapy and Podiatric Medicine programmes in University of Galway, Physiotherapy in RCSI and the introduction of an undergraduate Occupational Therapy programme in University of Limerick.

In addition, 83 additional allied health places for were made available in Ulster University in September 2024. These places included 25 Physiotherapy places, 27 Occupational Therapy and 8 Speech and language therapy places. These students are undertaking their practice education placements in healthcare settings in Northern Ireland.

Extensive engagement is ongoing between officials in the Department of Further and Higher Education, Research, Innovation and Science, and officials in the Department of Health, as well as the HSE and higher education sector. Work is underway on the oversight and infrastructure for clinical placements to enable further expansion.