Eamon Scanlon (Sligo-Leitrim, Fianna Fail)
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558. To ask the Minister for Health his plans to increase the number of paid assistant psychologist posts in primary care nationwide; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [54130/18]

Simon Harris (Wicklow, Fine Gael)
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The post of Assistant Psychologist is a new grade within the HSE on a pilot basis. Their role is to support psychology services in primary care settings and to provide early and cost-effective interventions for children and adolescents. The creation of the role is key to delivering a “stepped care” model in which service users receive the level of required support and/or intervention appropriate to their assessed need.

An ongoing evaluation is being conducted on these roles as part of the governance structures of the Assistant Psychologist pilot project