Patrick Costello (Dublin South Central, Green Party) | Oireachtas source

I raise the issue of staffing in HSE psychological services. I have been contacted by a young man in my constituency who, to put it simply, has been strung along by the HSE and given no real therapeutic supports. This, of course, is a wider issue and not just in my constituency. Initially, the young man was seen by a psychologist in training, but when the training period ended, the supports also ended and there has been no replacement psychologist. There seems to be a recruitment issue and there are not enough staff. Students and trainees are being used to paper over cracks and the end result is that this young man, like many others, is not getting the supports he needs. What is being done to ensure there is adequate staffing in HSE psychological services? What is being done to ensure this young man who is asking for help gets the help he needs?

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