Disabilities Assessments
Dail Éireann — 2026-01-21
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Mary Butler (FF), Waterford

I acknowledge the Deputy’s continued advocacy on the provision of the myriad therapies that children, young people and adults need. It is important to recognise that overall activity within the eight core primary care therapies was significant in 2025, with approximately 1.24 million appointments provided across occupational therapy, physiotherapy, dietetics, psychology, speech and language therapy, audiology, ophthalmology and podiatry services to the end of November 2025. However, that is cold comfort to any family or child waiting for these services. I thank the Deputy for sharing that story. It is very difficult for a young girl of seven who is awaiting these services. She must be feeling the challenges when in school and noticing the differences among her classmates. I acknowledge all of that. It is extremely difficult.
My understanding of the waiting lists strategy is that if the family decide to go private, I assume they will still be on the HSE waiting list unless they actively remove themselves. I stand open to correction on that.
The Minister is committed to building capacity in primary care, as outlined in the programme for Government, by recruiting additional staff numbers and increasing the number of college training places for health and social care professionals, HSCP. She has worked closely with the Minister for higher education, Deputy Lawless. There are approximately 480 additional college training places this year, and the priorities focus on the therapies. It takes a while for them to come through the college system, but every effort is being made to do that. In June 2025, the Government announced a major expansion in HSCP training places, with 461 new places to be delivered up to 2030 across nine priority disciplines. This expansion relates to the creation of 310 additional student places in 2025, with a further 151 to come in subsequent years.
I again thank the Deputy for raising the issue.

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Record URI: https://data.oireachtas.ie/akn/ie/debateRecord/dail/2026-01-21/debate/main
Retrieved: 2026-08-31T01:00:51+00:00
Sitting date: 2026-01-21