Richard Bruton (Dublin North Central, Fine Gael)
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Question 209: To ask the Minister for Education and Science the number of training places available for the training of clinical psychologists; if her attention has been drawn to the fact that there are an estimated 100 vacancies for such skills unfilled; and her plans to expand the training opportunities for this important expertise. [24035/06]

Mary Hanafin (Dún Laoghaire, Fianna Fail)
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The provisional student numbers for the 2005/06 academic year indicate that there are a total of 90 students on Clinical Psychologist courses in Trinity College Dublin, University College Dublin, the National University of Ireland, Galway and the University of Limerick. The course in NUI, Galway commenced in the 2003/04 academic year while the course at the University of Limerick only commenced in the current academic year. A national audit undertaken by the Heads of Psychology in 2004/2005 identified the number of clinical psychologists available, together with current vacancies, across care groups within the health services.

The Health Service Executive has responsibility for human resource management. In 2005, the Health Service Executive established a more systematic and co-ordinated approach to postgraduate training initiatives in clinical psychology and has allocated significant additional revenue funding, €1m in 2006, to assist the development of these programmes.