Kathleen Lynch (Cork North Central, Labour) | Oireachtas source

I will answer the question as submitted.

Psychologists employed by the health service play an integral role in the delivery of a wide range of psychological services. These include the following: working with children and their families who present with developmental, emotional or behavioural difficulties and others who have intellectual and physical disabilities; working with adolescents with a wide range of difficulties from adjustment problems to serious mental health issues; and working with adults who present with mental health problems, including anxiety, depression and mental disorders.

Psychologists deliver services in a number of ways: as part of a multidisciplinary team of health professionals, as part of a network of health professionals, or as sole health professionals providing services to individual clients. They deliver their services in a range of settings, including community-based health centres, residential centres, nursing homes and hospitals.

The HSE employs professionally trained psychologists, including counselling psychologists, clinical psychologists and educational psychologists, in a range of roles across the health service. Counselling psychologists are largely employed in primary care and national counselling services. Under section 22 of the Health Act 2004, the HSE has the authority to appoint persons to be its employees and may determine their duties. This includes the appointment of persons to posts within the psychology service. With regard to the recruitment of psychologists, in the context of significant organisational change and realignment, it is the executive's intention to review the selection criteria for posts within the psychology service. The review will commence in November, and as part of this process the views of stakeholders will be invited and consideration will be given to developments within the profession. This review is timely in order to ensure that the recruitment of professionally trained psychologists continues to meet the needs of our evolving health services. I welcome the review and look forward to receiving the results of the report once it is completed.

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