John Lahart (Dublin South West, Fianna Fail)
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232. To ask the Minister for Education and Skills if he will increase the funding given specifically for the provision of adequate counselling services to all third level students either through the direct employment of more counsellors or in purchasing external counselling session hours; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [22584/16]

Richard Bruton (Dublin Bay North, Fine Gael)
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My Department allocates recurrent funding to the Higher Education Authority (HEA) for direct disbursement to the HEA designated higher education institutions. The HEA allocates this funding to the institutions and the internal disbursement of funding is then a matter for the individual institution. Higher education institutions are autonomous bodies and are responsible for their own day to day affairs, including the funding of student services in the institution.

As the Deputy will be aware, students who qualify for free fees funding at third level are liable to pay the Student Contribution which includes funding towards student services including counselling services. A working group was set up by the HEA a number of years ago to review and update the Framework of Good Practice for the provision of student services. This working group agreed that among others, welfare and guidance were areas to be included, together with counselling, as part of student services.