Vol. 521 No. 6
96 Mr. R. Bruton asked the Minister for Health and Children the number of speech therapists who have left the public service in the past two years; the way in which this compares with new recruits; if his attention has been drawn to the increased pay gap for speech therapists between Ireland and the UK as result of a European Court decision; if this will accelerate the move out of the profession; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [17844/00]
The information requested by the Deputy is not routinely collected by my Department. While I am aware of the recent European Court decision, the issue of pay for speech and language therapists can only be addressed in the context of the Programme for Prosperity and Fairness. In relation to recruitment and retention, officials of my Department are involved in discussions with IMPACT, the trade union representing these therapists, with a view to implementing the recommendations of the recently published report of the expert group on various health professions. This report makes many recommendations dealing with recruitment and retention. I am committed to implementing the report in full.
I have also agreed the terms of reference for a workforce planning study for the therapy professions, including speech and language therapists. This study is being commissioned by an interdepartmental steering group.
