Vol. 532 No. 3
121 Ms Shortall asked the Minister for Health and Children if he will provide any information at his disposal which would indicate the number of speech therapists currently required by health boards; if he will provide a breakdown for each health board area; and the action he has taken to address the shortfall. [7332/01]
My Department does not have available information on the numbers of speech and language therapists required by each health board. I have asked the chief executive officers of the health boards to supply the information requested directly to the Deputy.
On the wider question of shortages in speech and language therapy and therapy grades, my Department has engaged Dr. Peter Bacon and Associates to undertake a workforce planning study to report on the prospective supply and demand for a number of therapy grades, including speech and language therapists. Among the matters that this report will address is the number of additional training places required by these professions. This report is expected within the coming weeks.
In the interim, progress has been made in increasing the number of training places for speech and language therapists and an additional eight places were made available by the colleges for the October 2000 intake of students.
