Fianna Fáil TD Brendan Smith has said plans for a 40% increase in healthcare college places in Speech and Language Therapy, Occupational Therapy and Physiotherapy over the next two academic years will help tackle delays for assessments of need for services and follow up therapies. Minister for Health Stephen Donnelly TD, last week brought a memo to Cabinet outlining a 20% increase in Physiotherapy college places, a 40% increase in Occupational Therapy places and a 28% increase in Speech & Language places between now and 2026.
According to the Cavan-Monaghan TD, this will contribute to delivering an expansion in the region of up to 40% in college places in these important disciplines over the next two years. Speaking to Northern Sound, Deputy Smith hopes this move will go a long way towards addressing the delays in accessing services and follow up therapies in these disciplines.
"I'm pleased to see my party colleague Minister for Health Stephen Donnelly TD announce a major increase in the number of healthcare college places in vital disciplines such as Physiotherapy, Occupational Therapy and Speech and Language Therapy," Deputy Smith said. "This will contribute to delivering an expansion in the region of up to 40% in college places in these important disciplines over the next two years. There have been well documented delays in accessing these much needed therapies. I'm particularly pleased to learn of these additional places as I've highlighted in the Dáil on a number of occasions the long wait times some local families have had to endure."
