Emer Currie (Fine Gael) | Oireachtas source

I thank the Minister of State for the update. The report is a year old and now that Covid is, hopefully, coming to an end we need to prioritise this matter. The solutions are there. We need to increase the number of psychologists, address the inequities and support people through the process. The Department should look to the North and what it does in the area of funding because there are examples there that we could use.

Under our current system, someone could become an assistant psychologist and be paid but trainee psychologists must pay for their degree or doctorate and work for free. We need to adopt an holistic approach to this and address the shortage of posts. A placement office is essential because we must co-ordinate. I think there is a cliff-edge date where someone who has not worked in all three areas will not get the same qualifications. We need to sit down with representatives of the Psychological Society of Ireland and we need a timeline for implementation. We also need clear direction on who is responsible. We need to know whether the Minister of State, the Minister for Health or the Minister for Education are responsible for this. I would appreciate if the Minister of State could clarify the matter because different people have sent emails back and forth seeking clarity.