To ask the Minister of Education to detail any actions his Department is taking to ensure that sufficient commissioned, and funded, occupational therapy posts are in place, in school settings.

The Minister for Health is responsible for the creation of Allied Health Professional (AHP) posts. However AHPs will play a key role in supporting special educational needs (SEN) transformation.

Working under the auspices of the Joint Health and Education Oversight Group, my department, the Department of Health and the Education Authority are in discussions regarding the deployment of AHPs, including Occupational Therapists, to support children with SEN in education settings.

Work will be undertaken in due course to increase the number of AHPs and protected posts, subject to additional budget being identified.