Mick Wallace (Wexford, Independent)
Link to this: Individually | In context | Oireachtas source

91. To ask the Minister for Health his plans to expand counselling in primary care service to children and adolescents under 18 years of age; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [43544/18]

Simon Harris (Wicklow, Fine Gael)
Link to this: Individually | In context | Oireachtas source

Psychology services in primary care settings can play a key role in promoting good mental health and offer the opportunity to provide early and cost-effective interventions for children and adolescents.

In order to improve access to psychology services in primary care settings, additional funding of €5 million has been made available for the recruitment of 22 staff grade psychologists and 114 assistant psychologists. The vast majority of these posts have been filled and, already, a reduction can be seen in the numbers waiting to access these services.

As well as additional investment, the HSE is also examining the scope for improved ways of working through a Service Improvement Initiative for Counselling in Primary Care. These new ways of working include:

- standardised psychology protocols;

- a single point of contact for all non-crisis and non-complex emotional and behavioural referrals; and

- assistance for service users in stepping ‘up to’ and ‘down from’ more specialist health services.

Other options to improve access times for children and adolescents are also being pursued, including a computerised cognitive behavioural therapy programme. This programme utilises new technologies, delivering supports through weekly sessions based around a computer, with a healthcare professional as support.