Association of Occupational Therapists of Ireland

Lobbying Organisation Association of Occupational Therapists of Ireland

Date published 19 Sep, 2025

Relevant Matter Public policy or programme

Public Policy Area Health

Period 1 May, 2025 to 31 Aug, 2025

Specific Details The Health and Social Care Professions Alliance (HSCPA), of which AOTI is a member, met the Minister for Health on 27 August 2025 to discuss 3 key areas: the long-term plan for Chief HSCP Officer; the approach to regulation of HSCP professions not named in the HSCP Act; and HSCP workforce planning including Programme for Government commitment to double the graduates in several HSCP professions including Occupational Therapy.

Intended results Intended results: Chief HSCP Officer be a permanent role on par with CNO and CMO. Outstanding professions be added to the HSCP Professionals Act. Establish structures to enable doubling of HSCP student practice education placements given significant service pressures. Reverse the HSE Pay & Numbers Strategy. Government engage with the HSCPA to find solutions to HSCP recruitment and retention challenges, including advanced practice, enhanced career pathways and improving staffing capacity.

Name of person primarily responsible for lobbying on this activity Odhran Allen

Did any Designated Public Official(DPO) or former Designated Public Official(DPO) carry out lobbying activities on your behalf in relation to this return? You must include yourself, and answer Yes, if you are a current DPO or a DPO at any time in the past. (What is a Designated Public Official?) No

Did you manage or direct a grassroots campaign? No

Was this lobbying done on behalf of a client? No

Lobbying activity

The following activities occurred for this specific Subject Matter Area.

Meeting (1)

The HSCPA was represented at the meeting by the following members: Marie O' Mír, HSCPA Co-Chair & CEO of Irish Society of Chartered Physiotherapists Edel Dunphy, HSCPA Co-Chair and COO of Irish Association of Speech and Language Therapists Odhrán Allen, HSCPA Vice Chair and CEO of Association of Occupational Therapists of Ireland Karen Dobbyn, HSCPA member and CEO of Irish Institute of Clinical Measurement Physiology

Designated public officials lobbied

The following DPOs were lobbied during this return period on this specific Subject Matter Area. These DPOs were involved in at least one of the Lobbying Activities listed above, but not necessarily all of them. As returns are specific to a Subject Matter Area the above Lobbying Activities may be associated with multiple returns.

Jennifer Carroll MacNeill Minister (Department of Health)