Bríd Smith (Dublin South Central, People Before Profit Alliance)
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391. To ask the Minister for Health the position in relation to educational and child psychologists; the reason that this group is treated differently from clinical psychologists in terms of funding and supports during their placements; if he plans to ensure that funding is allocated to this group; the number of vacant posts; the projected number of positions that will be filled in the coming years; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [49354/22]

Mary Butler (Waterford, Fianna Fail)
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The total allocation for mental health services in 2023 is over €1.2 billion, which is another record budget for mental health services. This significant investment will enable implementation of many of the short and medium-term measures in our national mental health policy, Sharing the Vision, enhancing the provision of mental health supports across a broad continuum from mental health promotion, prevention and early intervention, to acute and specialist mental health service delivery, and enabling us to continue to deliver our vital services to as many people as possible, as we move into 2023.

In relation to the HSE Mental Health care programme, €750,000 has been provided in Budget 2023 to support counselling psychology training places. This funding demonstrates the Government’s commitment to strengthen access to psychology training. Further detailed discussions will now take place between the Department and HSE to progress both this and wider commitments of the 2023 Budget in the context of preparing the HSE Service Plan 2023. In addition, the Department of Health has been advised by the Department of Education that the Minister for Education and her Department very much value the work of all educational psychologists across the education system. I understand they are working proactively and intensively to find a positive resolution for the issue of fees for trainee educational psychologists.

In terms of the issues raised by the Deputy, it should be noted that there is no specific professional grade of ‘child psychologist’ within the HSE. Only three types of psychologist are recognised by the HSE, namely Clinical Psychologist, Counselling Psychologist and Educational Psychologist.