Vol. 559 No. 1
343 Mr. Wall asked the Minister for Health and Children the number of speech therapists in the South West Health Board; if this number is the full complement of such professionals needed by or allocated to the board; the positions or schools to which they are attached; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [25925/02]
There were 30 speech and language therapists employed in the South-Western Area Health Board at the end of 2001. Intensive efforts have been undertaken to improve staffing levels in speech and language therapy, both at local and national level. Relevant developments include the continued implementation of the recommendations of the report of the expert group on various health professions, which included new pay scales and career structures, the undertaking of a concerted overseas recruitment drive on behalf of all health boards, the introduction of a fast track working visa scheme for health and social care professionals, the streamlining of procedures for the validation of overseas qualifications and the planned significant expansion in the number of training places in speech and language therapy through the implementation of the recommendations of the report "Current and Future Supply and Demand Conditions in the Labour Market for Certain Professional Therapists", prepared by Dr. Peter Bacon and Associates.
