Aindrias Moynihan (Cork North West, Fianna Fail)
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113. To ask the Minister for Education and Skills the engagement he has had with colleges and third level institutions to ensure that the recent allocation for mental health funding is benefiting all students needing assistance in view of the fact that most are studying remotely and could be based anywhere countrywide; the way in which students are being identified by colleges for the assistance; the way in which the funding is being measured by his Department to ensure that all students in need of assistance are benefitting from the funding; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [31313/20]

Simon Harris (Wicklow, Fine Gael)
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The mental health of our students is a priority for my Department, particularly in light of the COVID-19 pandemic, and the increased mental stress and pressure resulting from it. In this regard earlier this year, I secured a comprehensive package of financial support in the amount of €168m for the Higher Education and Further Education and Training sector to mitigate against the direct financial impact of COVID-19 on our Universities, institutions, colleges and students in 2020.

This package includes additional funding of €3m to underpin wellbeing and mental health and student services in our higher education institutions (HEIs), and is in addition to the €2m that was allocated in Budget 2020. This overall funding of €5m comes at a time of great urgency in relation to student support and re-opening of our higher education institutions. This funding will enable institutions to enhance their student facing services, such as by employing additional student Counsellors, Assistant Psychologists etc.

I understand that many institutions are already in the process of increasing their counselling service capacity; there are a number of recruitments of additional counsellors and assistant psychologists live at the moment, and more to follow suit over the next few weeks. This increased capacity/resourcing will allow for development of further active outreach to students.

The Higher Education Authority, assisted by a broad range of stakeholders, including the HSE, the National Office for Suicide Prevention, USI, Psychological Counsellors in Higher Education Ireland, and my Department prepared a National Student Mental Health and Suicide Prevention Framework, which was published on 10 October 2020. The Framework recognises the many challenges students face, and sets out ways in which institutions can support and respond through working proactively to maximise mental health and wellbeing.

The increased capacity/resourcing of counselling will allow for development of active outreach to students, and deliver more support and training to campus staff to identify, support and refer students in difficulty. This whole of campus approach to student support is a central principle in the National Framework for Student Mental Health and Suicide Prevention. While specific services such as counselling provide the specialist response to mental health difficulties, all staff should be aware of how to engage and respond supportively to a student in distress, and how to make effective referrals to the services, and we will be working towards achieving that in line with the framework.

In recent weeks I also announced the new keyword partnership with 50808. This is a Free 24/7 anonymous text support service. Students text their institution's keyword to 50808 to begin a text conversation e.g. Text DKIT to 50808 for Dundalk IT students. Although this partnership with student counselling services was in train before the publication of USI National Report on Students and Covid-19, the 50808 partnership responds directly to the almost 27% of students in this report who said they would like to use a text service provided by their college service and 26% who said they would use a text service provided through an external service. The 50808 volunteers will also signpost student texters to their campus and local community supports, based on their location, in instances that where further support is required.