John Bruton
Question:342 Mr. J. Bruton asked the Minister for Health and Children his plans regarding the shortage of speech therapists in the country and especially in County Meath. [29039/01]
Written Answers. - Speech Therapy Service.
In response to my concern regarding current severe labour shortages affecting the therapy professions nationwide my Department commissioned a report from Dr. Peter Bacon and Associates on current and future supply and demand conditions in the labour market for certain professional therapists, including speech and language therapists. The study, a comprehensive quantitative assessment of work force requirement for qualified personnel in these areas to 2015, was published on 25 July last.
The report concludes that a major expansion is essential in the numbers of therapy professionals over the next fifteen years including a fourfold increase in speech and language therapists. This will require a significant increase in training places with a recommended annual increase of 75 course places for speech and language therapy. Other key recommendations of the report include: provision of sufficient clinical placements within the health service through the establishment of a national network of clinical placement co-ordinators; need for fast-track qualification and review of the existing training system; concerted recruitment from overseas; establishment of the planned system of statutory registration consistent with the requirement for a patient-centred health service; career structure, workload, working practices and skills-mix issues encompassed in the context of the Report of the Expert Group on Various Health Professions, published April 2000.
I am working closely with my colleague the Minister for Education and Science, Deputy Woods, to ensure the rapid provision of the additional places as an urgent priority. To this end an inter-agency working group has been established comprising representatives of my Department, the Department of Education and Science and the Higher Education Authority. The Higher Education Authority has initiated a formal bidding process between third-level educational institutions to respond to the training needs identified in the study. Responsibility for the provision of speech and language therapists in County Meath rests with the North Eastern Health Board. My Department has therefore asked the chief executive officer to investigate the matter raised by the Deputy and reply to him directly.