4109. Deputy Fionntán Ó Súilleabháin asked the Minister for Further and Higher Education, Research, Innovation and Science the number of students studying occupational therapy, dietetics, physiotherapy, speech and language therapy, psychology and psychotherapy in each higher education institution, for each of the past five years; the number graduating annually from each discipline; the number of funded training places available in each year, in tabular form; whether a shortfall in graduates is contributing to HSE vacancies and extended waiting lists in disability and community services; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [63573/26]

The detailed information requested by the Deputy on student enrolments, graduates and funded training places by discipline and institution is compiled by the Higher Education Authority (HEA) and is being provided in the following tables.

I recognise the very real pressures faced across the health, disability, education and community sectors arising from shortages in a number of Health and Social Care Professions (HSCPs), including occupational therapy, speech and language therapy, physiotherapy, dietetics and psychology-related professions. These shortages can impact on recruitment, workforce capacity and the timely delivery of services, including disability and community-based supports.

Addressing these workforce challenges is a key priority for Government. My Department is working closely with the Department of Health, the Department of Children, Disability and Equality, the Department of Education and Youth, the HSE and the Higher Education Authority through a coordinated workforce planning process to ensure that education and training capacity is aligned with projected service needs.

This work is supported through an Inter-Departmental Working Group led by my Department, bringing together relevant Government Departments, the HSE, the HEA, CORU, the National Educational Psychological Service and other stakeholders. The objective is to align higher education provision with identified workforce requirements across acute, primary care, disability, educational and community settings.

Workforce modelling undertaken across Government continues to identify shortages in a number of key therapy professions, particularly occupational therapy, speech and language therapy and physiotherapy. These professions are central to the delivery of services through Children's Disability Network Teams, the National Education Therapy Service and wider community and disability services.

In response, Government has overseen a significant expansion of healthcare education capacity in recent years. Since 2023:

• an additional 80 Occupational Therapy places have been approved, representing approximately 62% growth on previous capacity;

• an additional 25 Speech and Language Therapy places have been approved, representing approximately 21% growth; and

• an additional 167 Physiotherapy places have been approved, representing approximately 81% growth on the 2023 baseline.

These increases form part of a broader expansion of more than 460 Health and Social Care Profession training places approved since 2023 and contribute to the wider Government commitment of over 1,100 additional annual healthcare training places approved or committed since 2022 across medicine, nursing, midwifery and health and social care professions.

Student enrolments have also increased. Occupational Therapy enrolments increased from 445 students to 485 students, Speech and Language Therapy enrolments increased from 395 to 435 students, and Physiotherapy enrolments increased from 770 students in 2022/23 to 825 students in 2024/25.

Most recently, in July 2026, Government approved a first phase expansion of Health and Social Care Profession programmes which will provide approximately 274 additional annual entrant places at full roll-out, including 76 additional entrants in the 2026/27 academic year, across 12 priority professions. The approved package includes additional capacity in Occupational Therapy, Speech and Language Therapy, Dietetics, Clinical Psychology, Counselling Psychology, Educational Psychology and other priority disciplines where workforce shortages have been identified.

The package includes expansion of Occupational Therapy provision, additional Speech and Language Therapy places and a range of other approved expansions designed to support workforce growth across the health, disability and education sectors.

In relation to vacancies and waiting lists, workforce modelling undertaken jointly by the Department of Health, the HSE and the HEA identifies that increasing the supply of graduates in these professions is an important component of addressing workforce shortages over the medium to long term. While vacancies and waiting lists are influenced by a range of factors, including recruitment and retention challenges, demographic demand, geographical distribution of staff and international competition for qualified professionals, increasing the number of graduates entering the workforce is a critical element of improving service capacity and reducing waiting times.

Notwithstanding the significant progress made, the principal constraint on further expansion remains the availability of clinical placements, which are a mandatory requirement for professional qualification. To support future growth, the HEA has completed a national clinical placement mapping exercise in collaboration with higher education institutions and the findings are being considered with the HSE to inform the next phase of expansion.

Looking ahead, my Department initiated a further Higher Education Capacity Building Process in 2026 focused on priority health and social care professions. The process generated 66 proposals from 18 higher education institutions and was informed by extensive engagement across Government. This work is intended to ensure that future expansion of training places is targeted towards areas of greatest workforce need, while also taking account of clinical placement capacity, regulatory requirements, institutional readiness and regional service needs.

I can assure the Deputy that expanding the supply of healthcare professionals remains a priority for Government. My Department will continue to work closely with the Department of Health, the HSE, the HEA and higher education institutions to ensure that education and training capacity is expanded in a targeted, sustainable and evidence-based manner to support the future needs of health, disability, community and educational services.

First year places and graduates