Disability Services

Dáil Éireann Debate, Tuesday - 1 March 2022

Tuesday, 1 March 2022

Questions (559, 560, 561)

Pauline Tully

Question:

559. Deputy Pauline Tully asked the Minister for Further and Higher Education, Research, Innovation and Science the engagements his Department is having with the Department of Health on its health workforce planning needs specifically in relation to children’s disability network teams; the plans he has to ensure an adequate level of third level courses are available to fill future staffing needs within children’s disability network teams; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [11004/22]

Pauline Tully

Question:

560. Deputy Pauline Tully asked the Minister for Further and Higher Education, Research, Innovation and Science the number of third-level places currently available that cover the different therapy posts involved in children’s disability network teams, by qualification in tabular form; his plans to increase the third-level places available to cover the different therapy costs involved in children’s disability network teams, by qualification in tabular form; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [11005/22]

Pauline Tully

Question:

561. Deputy Pauline Tully asked the Minister for Further and Higher Education, Research, Innovation and Science the estimated number of students who will graduate in 2022 with the third-level therapy qualification needed to work within a children’s disability network team, by qualification in tabular form; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [11006/22]

Written answers

Minister for Further and Higher Education, Research, Innovation and Science

I propose to take Questions Nos. 559, 560 and 561 together.

The staff required by a children's disability network team (CDNT) require a wide range of expertise in a number of clinical and other areas including, but not limited to physiotherapy, psychology, occupational therapy, speech and language therapy, social work and community nursing.

Third level graduates from the relevant therapy courses (i.e. physiotherapy, occupational therapy and speech and language therapy) for 2020, the most recent year available, are shown in the table below.

Institution	Degree Level	Field	2020
University of Limerick	Taught Masters	Occupational Therapy	29
NUI Galway	Honours Degree	Occupational Therapy	27
Trinity College Dublin	Honours Degree	Occupational Therapy	45
University College Cork	Honours Degree	Occupational Therapy	25
University College Dublin	Taught Masters	Physiotherapy	22
University of Limerick	Taught Masters	Physiotherapy	17
Royal College of Surgeons	Honours Degree	Physiotherapy	32
Trinity College Dublin	Honours Degree	Physiotherapy	77
University College Dublin	Honours Degree	Physiotherapy	48
University of Limerick	Honours Degree	Physiotherapy	27
University of Limerick	Taught Masters	Speech and Language Therapy	22
NUI Galway	Honours Degree	Speech and Language Therapy	32
Trinity College Dublin	Honours Degree	Speech and Language Therapy	32
University College Cork	Honours Degree	Speech and Language Therapy	33

The Programme for Government commits the Department of Health to working with the education sectors, regulators, and professional bodies to improve the availability of health professionals and reform their training to support integrated care across the entire health service, including in relation to disability services. The Department of Further and Higher Education, Research, Innovation and Science is also represented on the interdepartmental Working Group which is currently tasked with developing an Action Plan for Disability Services for the 2022-2025 period.

My Department is strongly committed to supporting the health of the population through the provision of graduates with the key competencies and skills to be effective in the health workforce, and support a range of clinical teams in our health services. My officials are actively engaging with the Department of Health on determining the longer term skills needs of the healthcare services, and the role which the further and higher education sector can play in meeting those skills needs.

Question No. 560 answered with Question No. 559.

Question No. 561 answered with Question No. 559.