Mark Ward (Dublin Mid West, Sinn Fein)
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225. To ask the Minister for Health further to Parliamentary Question No. 351 of 14 July 2021, the reason the HSE is not funding counselling and educational doctoral courses in line with clinical psychology doctoral courses; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [51430/21]

Stephen Donnelly (Wicklow, Fianna Fail)
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The Report of the Psychology Review Implementation Group in 2017 expanded the care group employment available to counselling and educational psychologists. The report’s recommendation led to the establishment of a Project Team to implement this recommendation.

In February 2019, HSE Community Operations convened a Project Team, chaired by Dr Cathal Morgan, comprised of representatives from Clinical, Counselling and Educational Psychology; Social Care, Disability, and Mental Health services; Community and Acute services; Operational and National HR; and the Health and Social Care Professions office.

The Project Team was tasked with, inter alia, considering the preparation of a workforce plan for psychological services in the HSE, including an examination of the current framework for training psychologists for the health service, and the type, and skill-mix, required for the future. The work of the Project Team has been informed by a thorough stakeholder consultation process.

Clinical Psychology Trainees, on the doctoral programme, are HSE employees and are in receipt of partial funding (60%) of Higher Education Institution (HEI) fees each year. Traditionally the educational and counselling psychologists’ courses have not been funded by the HSE.  The HSE does not employ or contribute to HEI fees for Counselling and Educational Psychologists during their doctoral training.

The Report of the National Psychology Project Team – Establishment of a National Psychology Placement Office and Workforce Planning was completed in January 2021.  The Report contains a plan to address a range of matters in relation to psychology through establishment of a placement office and workforce planning. Implementation of the report’s recommendations and the creation of a National Psychology Placement Office are a matter for the HSE in the context of available resources.