Rose Conway-Walsh (Mayo, Sinn Fein)
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550. To ask the Minister for Education and Skills further to Parliamentary Question No. 363 of 13 May 2021, the cost of extending to those studying for a professional doctorate in counselling psychology the conditions that apply to those in clinical psychology in terms of salary during training and a 60% fee reduction; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [46353/21]

Niall Collins (Limerick County, Fianna Fail)
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In relation to clinical psychology, I understand that the sponsor pays 60% of the course fee, with the student paying the balance of 40%. I also understand that the salary payable to the student by the HSE over the three years of the course ranges from approx. €32,000 to approx. €39,000.

In relation to Counselling courses in the higher education sector, the position is that in the 2019/20 academic year there were some 41 students enrolled on the PhD in Counselling Psychology course in Trinity College Dublin. There is also a Masters course in Bereavement Counselling in the RCSI with 9 students enrolled.

The TCD course fee is €14,924 for this academic year. Applying the clinical psychology sponsor level, and say the second point of the HSE salary level to the numbers of students on the TCD course would cost some €367,000 in fee supports and some €1.4m in salary supports per annum.