KEY ASKS:

Strategic Investment Priorities to Ensure Long-Term Sustainability of the Speech and Language Therapy Workforce

To ensure the sustainability, growth, and future proof of the Speech and Language
Therapy profession in Ireland, IASLT proposes a set of strategic solutions that address systemic barriers, future workforce needs, and the integration of SLTs into modern models of healthcare.

Restoring Capacity: A Call for Urgent Investment in Services and Staffing

The current landscape of speech and language therapy service provision presents a stark and pressing reality: staffing across key areas has been significantly reduced, and as a direct consequence, vital services have been suspended, scaled back, or in some instances, closed entirely. The erosion of services has tangible consequences for service users and long-term outcomes. We must be honest in recognising what has been lost. It is unacceptable to present diluted service models as a substitute for adequately resourced speech and language therapy staffing. Doing so undermines the quality, safety, and equity of care that individuals and families deserve. This submission does not seek marginal improvements; it demands a substantive response.

We are calling for:

• Targeted allocation to restore staffing and rebuild workforce capacity.
• Reinstatement of suspended SLT services and safeguarding of those at risk of
  closure.
• The delivery of services that are firmly grounded in Evidence-Based Practice,
  structured around Outcome-Focused models of care, and underpinned by
  clearly defined specialist pathways that ensure individuals receive the right
  expertise at the right time.
• A comprehensive review of SLT workforce needs and recommendations
  including modelling for service need, regional equity, and future demand.

Families, communities, and professionals alike deserve a system that is properly
resourced and future-facing. This budget provides the opportunity to make that
commitment.