Ministers urged to stop emigration of physiotherapy graduates

The Irish Society of Chartered Physiotherapists (ISCP) tonight welcomed the Budget's commitment to allocate additional funding to improve public health services in Ireland from 2007.

However it warned increased funding of disability, elderly, and primary care services will come too late for physiotherapy graduates who are currently facing the prospect of emigration due to serious planning failures in the health service.

Ruaidhri O’Connor, chief executive of the ISCP said: “There remains a significant shortfall of approved posts within the Irish health service, a situation which is exacerbated by the cap on overall numbers working within the health sector. The cap on recruitment has resulted in many vacated posts not being replaced and in targeted new development posts failing to materialise.”