Fiona O'Loughlin (Kildare South, Fianna Fail)
Link to this: Individually | In context | Oireachtas source

363. To ask the Minister for Education and Skills the current and planned investment in mental health counselling at third level; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [36479/17]

Mary Mitchell O'Connor (Dún Laoghaire, Fine Gael)
Link to this: Individually | In context | Oireachtas source

My Department allocates recurrent funding to the Higher Education Authority (HEA) for direct disbursement to HEA designated higher education institutions. The HEA allocates this funding as a block grant to the institutions. As autonomous bodies, the internal disbursement of this funding, along with any funding it receives from private sources, is a matter for the individual institution.

Student services and associated activities are an integral part of the whole student experience at third level. Student services support each individual student achieve his/her intellectual, cultural and social potential while supporting and complementing the formal academic programme. Student services can fall under a number of headings, particularly ‘Welfare and Guidance’ which includes counselling services, health promotion, careers service, multi-faith, racial and ethnic cultural support.

My Department also provides a range of services for students in HEA funded higher education institutions, including supports provided by Access Offices. In particular these offices co-ordinate pastoral and academic supports for students from disadvantaged backgrounds. Among the supports administered by the access offices, in conjunction with student services is the Student Assistance Fund and the Fund for Students with Disabilities.

The Student Assistance Fund

The Student Assistance Fund is managed by the HEA on behalf of my Department. This Fund is allocated annually to the Higher Education Institutions (HEIs) to support students from socio economically disadvantaged backgrounds, whose participation in higher education would otherwise be at risk as a direct result of financial difficulties. The fund assists students with on-going needs for financial support and students with other circumstances giving rise to short or longer-term financial difficulties, including family responsibilities, bereavement, family difficulties, accidents or health problems. In all cases, institutions are responsible for targeting the available resources at those students most in need.

Fund for Students with Disabilities

The Fund for Students with Disabilities (FSD) aims to ensure that students can participate fully in their academic programmes and are not disadvantaged by reason of a disability. The total allocated under the FSD in 2015-16 was €10.4m with a total of 10,486 students in further and higher education supported through the fund. 956 students with a mental health condition in higher education were supported by the FSD in 2015/2016.

Mental Health Matters - AHEAD

AHEAD, the Association for Higher Education Access and Disability, is supported through an annual grant from the HEA towards the cost of the activities of the organisation. AHEAD is an independent non-profit organisation working to promote full access to and participation in further and higher education for students with disabilities and to enhance their employment prospects on graduation.

In 2016, AHEAD in partnership with the National Learning Network (NLN), published a report called ‘Mental Health Matters’, a study into the experiences of students with mental health difficulties. The study found that the majority of HEIs have services supporting students with mental health difficulties and some institutions have dedicated services for students. The report made some key recommendations such as the promotion of mental health awareness to students on their induction, the provision of mental health awareness at institutional level for staff and institutions adopting a whole of campus strategic response to meet the needs of students experiencing mental health difficulties. Implementation of the recommendations is being progressed by AHEAD and partners and a follow-on conference/seminar is planned for later this year.

Increased funding for Higher Education

In Budget 2017, I secured increased Exchequer investment in higher education of €36.5m, with €160 million being invested over the next three years. This is the first significant reinvestment in higher education since the beginning of the financial crisis.