Kathleen Funchion (Carlow-Kilkenny, Sinn Fein)
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134. To ask the Minister for Health the additional funding and resources that have been allocated to HSE counselling services to deal with the inevitable rise in numbers of those who will access counselling services upon the publication of the report of the Commission of Investigation into Mother and Baby Homes and other related matters. [40718/20]

Mary Butler (Waterford, Fianna Fail)
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The package of health and wellbeing supports for former residents of Mother and Baby Homes, agreed by Government in December 2019, includes the provision of additional counselling services to help support the needs of former residents and the introduction of a dedicated patient advocacy liaison service for former residents.

Funding of €1.7m has been provided to the HSE to support service delivery in 2020, while €4m is allocated to cover the costs of these services in 2021. Enhanced supports are available through the National Counselling Service and the Connect Live helpline, while call centre teams at HSE Live and the YourMentalHealth information line have also been updated on all available support options to assist former residents. This will ensure that former residents have somewhere to turn for assistance should they require it.

As the delivery of the counselling supports is a service matter, I have asked the Health Service Executive to respond directly to the Deputy as soon as possible.