Gerard Craughwell (Independent) | Oireachtas source

I welcome the Minister to the House for the debate on this matter. On 25 March, an independent report into the deaths of 12 children in State care or known to child protection services severely criticised the State's social work and mental health services. Four of these cases concerned young women between the ages of 14 and 19 with emotional difficulties who had taken their own lives. Three of them had been on lengthy waiting lists for psychological services. Dr. Helen Buckley, chair of the national review panel said that one of the girls was unable access to mental health services in the days leading up to her death, which is a damning indictment of our health service. In explaining delays in psychology services, Ms Anne O'Connor, HSE director of mental health services stated it was the lack of psychological candidates and not HSE funding that was causing the delays.

I have been reliably informed that, in November 2014, there were 27 vacant HSE psychology posts in disability, mental health and child and adolescent mental health services but, at the same time, more than 80 counselling psychologists were available on the HSE psychology panel. It appears, therefore, it is not the shortage of suitably candidates but a change in the appointment criteria that is causing this serous and, in some cases, life threatening backlog. Up to 2009, counselling psychologists were actively recruited in all areas of mental health and currently they work in all areas of the HSE, some at senior levels. Given the changed recruitment procedures, they would now be unable to apply for posts they hold. The HSE has never given a reason or evidence for the basis of this change. The professional body for accreditation of psychologists, the Psychological Society of Ireland, PSI, stated, "No candidate should be excluded from applying solely on the basis of their named professional qualification in psychology".Counselling psychology professionals have made countless representations to the Health Service Executive to request a statement on its rationale for such restrictive eligibility criteria, but none has been given. In a statement obtained under the Freedom of Information Act, a 2013 report of the Commission for Public Service Appointments, CPSA, concluded that in the event of the HSE not adopting the position of the Psychological Society of Ireland in respect of the eligibility criteria, it needed to provide a robust case to support its position. To date, I am unaware of any supporting case having been made, and I respectfully request the Minister to take up the issue with the HSE.

I am aware, however, of a long-established relationship between the HSE and the clinical psychologist profession in Ireland, which has evolved from an apprenticeship model in which the HSE sponsored the training of clinical psychologists and their subsequent placement in posts in the HSE. However, I argue that this model, which was designed to meet the service needs of the HSE and has worked very well for clinical psychologists therein, no longer adequately meets the now urgent service needs of the sector. The time has come for a different, more flexible, expanded and, if necessary, more bespoke recruitment process. Each year the country produces clinical and counselling psychologists of the highest calibre, and it is regrettable, even scandalous, that posts remain unfilled as young people die because of the failure to resolve this recruitment issue.

To sum up, I will ask the Minister a number of important questions. Why were the eligibility criteria changed in 2009? Who made the decision to change them? Who sanctioned this change and why has the HSE sought to recruit clinical psychologists from abroad while refusing to employ counselling psychologists who already have passed HSE interviews and remain on the panels? How was this situation allowed to develop when there are serious waiting lists and people are in dire need of professional medical help? Although there are already fully qualified counselling psychologists on the panel, no appointments are being made. I respectfully ask for the Minister to intervene in this serious situation because, to paraphrase an old adage, service directors differ and patients die. There is far more at stake here than posts and disputes over eligibility criteria.