Mark Ward (Dublin Mid West, Sinn Fein)
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2078. To ask the Minister for Education and Skills if the increases to third level mental health spending introduced during the Covid-19 pandemic will be considered to be made permanent; what funding will be provided for mental health in higher education in budget 2024; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [39257/23]

Simon Harris (Wicklow, Fine Gael)
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The HEA manages on behalf of my Department the provision of €2m per annum funding to HEIs to enable the delivery and enhancement of student mental health supports including service delivery through the recurrent funding model (RFAM).

From 2020 to 2023, an additional €3m per annum was provided to the HEIs to facilitate the enhancement of supports while institutions dealt with the challenges presented by the pandemic. Through this a number of national projects have been funded including supporting sector wide implementation of the National Student Mental Health and Suicide Prevention Framework and building capacity across the higher education system.

It is my intention to set out options for further enhancement of student supports for consideration as part of the Budgetary process this Autumn and I am not in a position to provide the Deputy with details of funding for 2024 until this process is complete.

Mark Ward (Dublin Mid West, Sinn Fein)
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2079. To ask the Minister for Education and Skills how previous budgets for well-being, mental health and student services in higher education institutions were spent; the way it was administered; and the services provided by this funding. [39258/23]

Simon Harris (Wicklow, Fine Gael)
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As part of its broader sectoral objective of supporting students on their journey to success, in and through higher education, the Department of Further and Higher Education, Research, Innovation and Science has provided €20.9 million through the Higher Education Authority to Higher Education Institutions since 2020.

This funding consists of core funding and additional funding: core allocation of €2m, as well as an additional €3m, annually to help alleviate pressures in the area of student mental health arising from COVID in 2020 and 2021, and the cost-of-living crisis in 2022 and 2023.

This funding is to assist them in meeting the mental health and wellbeing needs of their student population and in implementing the HEA National Student Mental Health and Suicide Prevention Framework (2020) and the HEA Healthy Campus Charter and Framework (2021).

In 2022 an additional €900,000 was made available for supporting Ukrainian students registered in Irish HEIs and who are in Ireland under a temporary Section 60 order.

HEIs in receipt of this funding have distributed it in support of specific student-facing areas, such as:

- Recruitment of additional Student Counsellors

- Recruitment of additional Assistant Psychologists

- Head of Service posts

- Training staff to enable them to support and refer students to appropriate services

- Raising awareness among students of mental health and wellbeing services available, including through student outreach activities

The majority of new posts created through this funding have been counsellors, reflecting the capacity building phase of the implementation of the Framework.

Reports received by the HEA have demonstrated, the allocation of €20.9 million to HEIs over the past four years has made a positive impact on the mental health and wellbeing of students.

HEIs have reported a breadth of positive impacts, from a reduction in engagement times to an increase in the number of sessions provided.