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Speech and Language Therapy

Dáil Éireann Debate, Tuesday - 22 May 2018

Tuesday, 22 May 2018

Ceisteanna (43)

Peter Fitzpatrick

Ceist:

43. Deputy Peter Fitzpatrick asked the Minister for Education and Skills the schools that will be participating in the new speech and language therapy programme; the number of speech and language therapists under the new programme; the way in which the programme will support children to fulfil their potential; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [22391/18]

Amharc ar fhreagra

Freagraí ó Béal (19 píosaí cainte)

I welcome the new speech and therapy pilot programme for schools and preschools. Will the Minister for Education and Skills tell me the schools that will participate in the new programme? Will he also tell me the number of speech and language therapists under the new programme and the way in which the programme will support children to fulfil their potential? Not a day goes by in my constituency office without parents coming in looking for help for their children, for speech and language and occupational therapies, etc. I welcome this new pilot scheme.

I thank Deputy Fitzpatrick for his support for the scheme. The scheme was recently announced as a demonstration project. It is to run in the next school year, 2018-2019. It involves 75 primary, post-primary and special schools and 75 preschools, making a total of 150 settings. They will all be in community healthcare organisation region 7 of the HSE, that is, south-west Dublin, Kildare and west Wicklow. The schools selected will be from that region, which, I understand, was selected because it contains a mix of urban and rural schools, disadvantaged and advantaged schools, special education schools and so on. It was also important that the pilot be carried out in an integrated area in order that it could be supervised and overseen effectively by the HSE, my Department and the Department of Children and Youth Affairs.

The numbers involved are 19 speech and language therapists and 12 occupational therapists, who will be recruited by the HSE to work with the schools and preschools. The National Council for Special Education, NCSE, will recruit two national co-ordinators to manage the project, which will bring together therapists and education professionals, who, as the Deputy rightly says, have often operated separately until now. The programme will support earlier intervention in the case of speech and language and occupational therapy and within educational settings. The pilot will ensure that the work of teachers, special needs assistants and, indeed, parents, will be integrated with that of therapists for maximum benefit. Obviously, we must assess whether the pilot works. I think many of those who are expert in the field believe this will be a win-win in terms of both delivery of the speech and language and occupational therapy and the educational setting. However, the programme will be closely monitored. If it is successful, we will obviously look at extending it further.

The Minister has previously indicated that this pilot will be evaluated in order to inform the potential future roll-out of a national programme. Will he comment on the potential timescale of a further roll-out of the programme, both in my county, Louth, and throughout the rest of the country? As I said earlier, it is very hard for many families to get speech and language and occupational therapy for their children. This is one of the best ideas I have come across in a long time. I am also delighted that the Minister's Department and the Departments of Children and Youth Affairs and Health are all working so closely together to help these children get early intervention.

We will set up a group to assess the programme over the course of its first year of operation. This will give us an early indication of its success. Regarding the other aspect, that is, the roll-out of the programme, the investment involved is €2.25 million, mainly from my Department but also from the Department of Children and Youth Affairs. We will have the Educational Research Centre working with us to undertake the research and ensure that the gains are being achieved. We believe the programme will achieve more in terms of early intervention, and the gaps that often occur between children seeing speech and language therapists will not be fallow gaps until the next appointment but can be used by the speech and language therapist working with the teacher and the special needs assistants. The programme will involve training for those staff to ensure we get better continuity. I am very confident, therefore, that it will be successful and that we will see it extended. However, I cannot extend it until that work is done and, obviously, a budgetary dimension will have to be planned in the longer term if we are to extend it nationwide. Nonetheless, this year we were able to get money for a pilot and I am very pleased about that.

One thing we definitely cannot do is put a monetary value on education or health. As the Minister said earlier, the most important thing is early intervention. I think every mother and father would appreciate that, and any help they can get, especially help in the school setting, would be fantastic. I do not think many people do but I definitely welcome the 800 extra SNAs that the Minister announced last week, which is an increase of 7%. Parents really appreciate that. It is so important, as I said earlier, that we catch children at an early stage. A great number of kids come into my constituency office looking for help. The first thing those children should get when they go to school is access to SNAs. I am delighted to see an extra 800 SNAs are to be appointed. I do not think my friend over there, Deputy Thomas Byrne, ever mentioned the extra 800 SNAs. Sometimes a clap on the back to a Minister for doing a good job does no harm.

It has been a disaster in recent years, so, yes, we are relieved that it is not a disaster this year.

Deputy Fitzpatrick should not invite interruption.

The Leas-Cheann Comhairle is aware of the relationship between Meath and Louth.

The Deputy knows he should address the Minister. The Minister is well able to protect himself.

When there is something nice to be said, it should be said. As I said, parents are coming to me looking for help for their children, and an extra 800 SNAs being announced is fantastic.

The Minister to respond.

May I ask a supplementary question?

I thank Deputy Fitzpatrick. To be fair to Deputy Thomas Byrne-----

Sorry. I call Deputy Thomas Byrne. Perhaps the Minister wants a compliment.

I have said what I will say about that. He always wants a compliment. Will the Minister confirm that children in the HSE area who are in need of speech and language and occupational therapy will now come off the HSE waiting list and get that therapy in the school? Is that what the Minister has in mind?

I thank Deputy Fitzpatrick for his support for both this initiative and the SNA provision. They are very worthwhile provisions and, to be fair to all parties in the House, it has been a feature in recent years that there has been very strong support across the Oireachtas for investment in special needs. The proof of the pudding is in the eating. The Oireachtas has voted an increase of 43% in the budget for special needs at a time when there were very little resources to increase in many areas. There is no intention of taking people off the list; this is entirely additional to the provisions already being made.

We believe this will allow schools to be better at identifying needs early, in improving the sort of programmes they have themselves, to emphasise communication and language and to integrate into their way of teaching, to ensure that between sessions with the therapists, the schools are doing things that sustain the progress which occurs in the therapy. I was very encouraged to see there is very strong support within the therapist profession for this model. They think it will extend their work. I hope it will prove that there is more additionality in the impact that this has.

The Taoiseach said something different earlier so I am glad that the Minister has clarified that.

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