Sinn Féin MLA Karen Mullan has called for greater investment in speech and language therapy.

Speaking following a meeting with the Royal College of Speech and Language Therapists, the party’s Education spokesperson said:

“Speech and language therapists play a vital role in supporting some of our most vulnerable children and young people to reach their full potential.

“I met with representatives from the Royal College of Speech and Language Therapists and discussed some of the key issues facing them as a result of the Covid19 pandemic.

“It’s concerning to hear about the consequences to their work when speech and language therapists were re-deployed to assist with the COVID response in other capacities. 

“It is vital that this does not happen again, their work is crucial, particularly in the area of early years and early intervention.

 “It is important that the Education Minister acknowledges the contribution of speech and language therapists to our education system and that he and his department increase the level of resources available to support speech and language therapy for very young children.”