Brendan Smith backs SUSE support, urges therapy assistants plan

Thank you very much for hearing. Minister, I welcome the provision of the additional estimate and extra resources for your department. I had to take a call and I missed some of the discussion in regard to the SUSE grant or grant support for beneficiaries of temporary protection, particularly the Ukrainian people who are here. I dealt with some cases and they applied through the normal SUSE grant application. I dealt with some of the families there earlier in the summer and they went through the normal process. Unfortunately, the ones that I had contact with, they were all approved, but they had to provide proper evidence and proper support and documentation, all of that, and SUSE were helpful to them. So I think it has been aligned, and I think that's the way it should be, and I think that's the message that needs to go out as well. It's great to see some of those students, young people who came here in the most awe for the circumstances, doing exceptionally well in their leaving cert and going on to very demanding courses at third level. So I wish them well as well. Minister, earlier we spoke as well in regard, and again at this discussion, about the need for additional people in health care across the whole different disciplines in the provision of health care. One area that I have been highlighting with the Minister for Health, previously with Minister Stephen Donnelly and with Minister Jennifer Karen McNeil now, is the whole area of therapy assistant. As we all know, and all of us who are public representatives in this room are utterly frustrated with the delays in children, particularly young people and children accessing therapies that they need. Now one idea that was put forward, and it was put forward a few years ago by different advocacy groups that I and other public representatives worked it on with, I think the idea came from England to have a therapy assistant. Now that the therapy assistant can do some of the work that the occupational therapist or speech therapist or whatever therapist that could do some of that particular work, and we're not trying to lessen the quality of the service and the therapy that the child needs. Now I know that some of that is happening, and I think it's an area if there was some momentum given to, because we're not going to have enough therapists for quite a number of years, because there's a bigger intake needed into our colleges, and there's going to be a deficit for some time apparently. But so Minister, if there can be a particular emphasis in the further education level, and I know again, and as you know, my own association with my own College and Cavan Institute, back a few years ago, between the HSE and some of the private nursing home providers, home support workers and healthcare assistant courses are being provided. So they're ensuring that we have enough skilled people to do that work in our particular area. And some other assistant therapy courses are on the way as well. But I think it's an area that may need further attention and bigger investment. And we can, we can upskill, those people can be upskilled and given the necessary skills to go on the role of therapy assistant in a shorter period than people would be able to qualify as therapists. And it's not in any way to suggest that we lower the quality of service that people need. But it's an area that some work has been done on Minister, if it can be given extra attention, I think it will bring great benefits in the whole area of training more people, and ensuring that we have more resources available to deal with that healthcare demand. So again, I welcome the supplementary estimate, Minister. Thank you. Thank you.