Vol. 560 No. 3
252 Mr. Rabbitte asked the Minister for Education and Science the progress made in pursuit of the objective of increasing the number of occupational and speech therapists being trained in the current academic year; the number of additional occupational and speech therapists he expects to be trained in the next academic year; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [2272/03]
The provision of an additional 175 professional therapy training places to tackle the shortage of physiotherapists, occupational therapists and speech and language therapists was announced on 29 May 2002. These places are being provided in response to the recommendations set out in a report from Dr. Peter Bacon and Associates on current and future supply and demand conditions in the labour market for physiotherapists, occupational therapists and speech and language therapists, which was launched in July 2001. The announcement followed on the work of an inter-agency group which comprised representatives of my Department, the Department of Health and Children and the Higher Education Authority. The group was established to ensure the provision of the additional places and considered proposals from third level institutions for the expansion of existing courses and-or the introduction of new courses, including graduate entry programmes, in response to the training needs identified in the Bacon report. The distribution of the additional places in speech and language therapy and occupational therapy is as follows:
University College Cork, National University of Ireland – Cork
25places – Bachelor of Science in Speech and Language Therapy
25 places – Bachelor of Science in Occupational Therapy
National University of Ireland, Galway
25 places – Bachelor of Science in Speech and Language Therapy
25 places – Bachelor of Science in Occupational Therapy
University of Limerick
25 places – Master of Science in Speech and Language Therapy
25 places – Master of Science in Occupational Therapy
There was an intake to the new physiotherapy course at the University of Limerick in 2002. Preparatory arrangements, including the recruitment of necessary staff, are being made by the institutions concerned to enable first intakes to the other additional courses to commence in 2003.
