Ceist:
476 Dr. Upton asked the Minister for Health and Children his views on correspondence (details supplied) regarding the lack of speech therapy services in Dublin 8. [1074/02]
Written Answers. - Speech Therapy Service.
The provision of health related services, including speech and language therapy, is a matter for the Eastern Regional Health Authority and the health boards in the first instance. Accordingly, the Deputy's question has been referred to the chief executive officer of the Eastern Regional Health Authority with a request that he examine the matter and reply directly to the Deputy as a matter of urgency.
In response to my concern regarding current labour shortages affecting the therapy professions nation-wide my Department commissioned a report from Dr. Peter Bacon and Associates on current and future supply and demand conditions in the labour market for certain professional therapists including speech and language therapists. The study, a comprehensive quantitative assessment of workforce requirements for qualified personnel in this area to 2015, was published on 25 July last.
The report concludes that a major expansion is essential in the numbers of therapy professionals over the next 15 years including a fourfold increase in speech and language therapists. This will require a significant increase in training places with a recommended annual increase of 75 course places for speech and language therapy.
Other key recommendations of the report include the provision of sufficient clinical placements within the health service through the establishment of a national network of clinical placement co-ordinators; the need for fast-track qualification and review of the existing training system; concerted recruitment from overseas; the establishment of the planned system of statutory registration consistent with the requirement for a patient-centred health service; and a career struc ture, workload, working practices and skills-mix issues encompassed in context of the report of the expert group on various health professions published in April 2000.
I am working closely with my colleague the Minister for Education and Science to ensure the rapid provision of the additional places as an urgent priority. To this end an interagency working group has been established comprising representatives of my Department, the Department of Education and Science and the Higher Education Authority. The Higher Education Authority has initiated a formal bidding process between third level educational institutions to respond to the training needs identified in the study. The bids have now been received and are currently being assessed by the interagency working group.