Vol. 549 No. 1
151 Mr. G. Mitchell asked the Minister for Health and Children if he will make a statement regarding the deficit in clinical and educational psychologists, speech and language therapists, physiotherapists and occupational therapists; and if he will set out his proposals to address the issue. [5960/02]
In response to my concern regarding the current severe labour shortages affecting the therapy professions nationwide my Department commissioned a report from Dr. Peter Bacon and Associates on current and future supply and demand conditions in the labour market for speech and language therapists, occupational therapists and physiotherapists. The study was published in July 2001 and concluded that a major expansion is essential in the numbers of each of the therapy grades, requiring a significant increase in training places. To this end an inter-agency 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 proposals received are currently being assessed by the inter-agency working group.
In addition, I understand that a concerted overseas recruitment campaign will be initiated shortly on behalf of the health boards for scarce physiotherapy, occupational therapy and speech and language therapy personnel.
I am aware in the context of work carried out by my Department with health service employers and IMPACT on the joint review group on psychology services in the health service that shortages of psychology staff including clinical psychologists exist in the health service. The review group identified that a key factor was the inadequate number of post-graduate training places available. A workforce planning exercise carried out under the aegis of the review recommended the provision of approximately 30 additional post-graduate training places in psychology. Following a process initiated by my Department, 30 additional places are now being provided from 2001 through the Psychological Society of Ireland's post-graduate diploma course.
I understand from my colleague, the Minister for Education and Science, that the national educational psychological service, NEPS, is undertaking a joint survey with the Principal Psychologists in Northern Ireland of supply and demand of educational psychologists in the island of Ireland and that he is awaiting completion of that survey along with its report and recommendations. In the interim the Department of Education and Science and the Higher Education Authority have agreed to a proposal to increase the annual output from the MA in Educational Psychology at University College Dublin, NUI Dublin from six to ten.
