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Speech and Language Therapist
(Speech Therapist, Speech Pathologist, Speech-Language Pathologist, Paediatric Speech and Language Therapist)
Health & Social Care
Salary
€36,000 - €72,000/yr
Level
Professional
Outlook
Growing
Sector
Health & Social Care
What does a Speech and Language Therapist do?
As a Speech and Language Therapist you assess, diagnose, and treat communication and swallowing disorders in people of all ages, from young children with delayed language development to adults recovering from stroke or head injury. You work with clients on a wide range of conditions including stuttering, voice disorders, autism spectrum disorder, and dysphagia, designing individualised therapy programmes and reviewing progress over time. You collaborate closely with GPs, occupational therapists, physiotherapists, psychologists, teachers, and families to ensure a holistic approach to each client's care. Much of your day is spent delivering one-to-one or group therapy sessions, writing clinical reports, attending multidisciplinary team meetings, and advising carers and educators on how best to support clients between sessions.
A Day in the Life
Listen: a day as a Speech and Language Therapist
Your alarm goes off at 7:15 a.m. You work for the HSE in a community health centre in a mid-sized Irish town, so you drive in and park up just before 8:30. The first thing you do is check your caseload on the HSELand patient management system and read any emails from referrers — a GP has flagged a new adult client who had a stroke last week and needs a swallowing assessment as soon as possible. By 9:00 you are in a small therapy room with a five-year-old boy who has a significant stammer. You use a structured programme called the Lidcombe Programme, working through fluency exercises with him while his mother watches and takes notes so she can practise at home. The session takes forty minutes and you spend another ten writing up your clinical notes on the system before the next client arrives.
Videos about Speech and Language Therapist
Speech and Language Therapist
CareersPortal
Required Education
Entry to Speech and Language Therapy requires a Level 8 Honours Bachelor of Science degree, offered at TCD, UCC, University of Galway, and UL. Helpful Leaving Certificate subjects include Biology, English, Irish, and a modern language, as the programmes are competitive and place significant emphasis on both science and communication. The courses typically run over four years and combine clinical placements in HSE settings and schools with academic study in linguistics, psychology, anatomy, and clinical practice. Some graduates with a degree in a related field such as psychology or linguistics may access a two-year Level 9 postgraduate conversion programme. All practising Speech and Language Therapists in Ireland must register with CORU (the Health and Social Care Professionals Council) and renew their registration regularly by demonstrating continuing professional development.
Required Skills
Career Perspective
Most newly qualified Speech and Language Therapists begin their careers in HSE primary care networks or Children's Disability Network Teams (CDNTs), often at a staff grade level. With experience and further professional development, you can progress to Senior or Clinical Specialist grades, taking on more complex caseloads, supervising junior staff, or specialising in a particular area such as paediatric language disorder, acquired neurological conditions, or dysphagia in acute hospital settings. Some therapists move into management roles as Therapy Managers or into research and lecturing positions in higher education institutions. Independent private practice is also a well-established route, particularly in urban areas where waiting lists in the public sector drive strong demand for private services.
AI Impact on the job
AI tools are beginning to support Speech and Language Therapists through automated screening tools, apps that deliver supplementary home practice exercises, and software that analyses speech samples to assist with assessment. These technologies can extend the reach of therapy beyond the clinic and help therapists manage larger caseloads more efficiently. However, the nuanced clinical judgement required for assessment, the therapeutic relationship central to successful outcomes, and the hands-on nature of dysphagia management mean AI is very unlikely to replace the therapist's core role. Instead, AI is expected to act as a useful assistant that handles administrative and data-processing tasks, freeing therapists to focus on direct client care.
Career Ladder
→ Speech and Language Therapist (Current role)
Related Studies
Employers in Ireland
Organisations in Ireland that employ people in this occupation.
Nationwide
Largest employer of SLTs across hospitals, community, and schools.
Dublin (Crumlin, Temple Street, Tallaght, Connolly)
Paediatric SLTs assess and treat complex childhood communication disorders.
Dublin and surrounding counties
SLTs support people with intellectual disabilities and autism.
Nationwide
SLTs deliver rehabilitation services for adults with acquired disabilities.
Nationwide
SLTs work with children and adults with physical and communication needs.
Nationwide
SLTs provide specialist communication and swallowing therapy post brain injury.
Dublin 9
SLTs manage dysphagia and communication needs in acute neurology settings.
Dún Laoghaire, Co. Dublin
SLTs deliver intensive rehabilitation for stroke and brain injury patients.
Palmerstown, Dublin
SLTs support adults and children with intellectual disabilities and autism.
Nationwide
SLTs provide communication support for people with disabilities.
Croom, Co. Limerick
SLTs assess swallowing and communication in rehabilitation and acute care.
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