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Speech and Language Therapy Waiting Lists

Dáil Éireann Debate, Tuesday - 23 July 2019

Tuesday, 23 July 2019

Questions (334, 624)

John Curran

Question:

334. Deputy John Curran asked the Minister for Education and Skills the status of the new school speech and language therapy service project introduced by his Department, the Departments of Education and Skills and Children and Youth Affairs in July 2018 for September 2018/19; the impact of the service on the long waiting lists for speech and language therapy; his plans to continue the project for the school term 2019-2020 and beyond; his further plans to extend this project nationally; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [34242/19]

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John Curran

Question:

624. Deputy John Curran asked the Minister for Education and Skills the status of the new school speech and language therapy service project introduced by his Department, the Departments of Children and Youth Affairs and Health in July 2018 for September 2018/19; the impact of the service on the long waiting lists for speech and language therapy; his plans to continue the project for the school term 2019-2020 and beyond; his further plans to extend this project nationally; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [34240/19]

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Written answers

I propose to take Questions Nos. 334 and 624 together.

The Deputy will be aware that a demonstration project to provide in-school and pre-school therapy services has been introduced for the 2018/19 school year.

The demonstration project has been developed by a Working Group which includes representatives from the Departments of Education, Children and Youth Affairs, Health, and the Health Service Executive (HSE).

The project is being managed and co-ordinated by the National Council for Special Education with clinical support also being provided by two HSE Therapy Managers which have been assigned to the project.

The purpose of the project is to test a model of tailored therapeutic supports that allows for early intervention in terms of providing speech and language and occupational therapy within ‘educational settings’.

This innovative pilot has been designed to complement existing HSE funded provision of essential therapy services and is additional to those services. It has therefore not been designed to impact upon existing Health Service Executive waiting lists or service provision for speech and language therapy, but rather to develop a pilot of an in school and pre-school service.

The project has been taking place in Community Healthcare Organisation (CHO) 7 Region of South West Dublin, Kildare, and West Wicklow.

This region has been selected to ensure that the pre-school and in-school therapy model can be tested in both urban and rural locations and with a suitable mix of various types of schools and pre-schools.

75 schools, including a representative sample of primary, post primary, and special schools are taking part in the project.

75 Pre-school settings associated with primary schools participating in the project have also been included in order to provide for therapy interventions to be made at the earliest possible time and to create linkages between pre-school and primary school provision.

In total, 150 settings are participating in the demonstration project.

As the project has been taking place in the region of South West Dublin, Kildare, and West Wicklow, only schools from this area could be selected for participation in the demonstration project.

Children who require speech and language therapy services and who are not attending one of the pilot schools will continue access services from the Health Service Executive.

Children who are attending pilot schools and who receive therapy supports from the HSE will also continue to access such services. The in-school therapy model is designed to supplement, not to replace existing services.

It will provide for a clinical Speech and Language Therapy service delivery model of Specialist, Targeted and universal supports in line with best practice for pupils which will see them receiving supports along a continuum of provision depending on the extent or severity of needs of the child/pupil.

Although initially designed as a one year pilot, a Government decision of 12th February, 2019, in relation to the Review of the Special Needs Assistant Scheme, also agreed to the establishment of a pilot of a new School Inclusion Model for children with special educational and additional care needs involving up to 75 participating schools in the CHO 7 region over the course of the 2019/20 school year.

The demonstration project to provide in-school and pre-school therapy services will continue, as part of the School Inclusion Model, over the course of the 2019/20 school year.

Decisions in relation to the extension of the service to other areas or Counties, or to extend the service nationally, will be taken following the evaluation of the existing informed pilot phase.

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