Aindrias Moynihan (Cork North West, Fianna Fail)
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831. To ask the Minister for Education and Skills his plans for expanding the current supports in terms of mental health service across third level education facilities; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [29803/24]

Patrick O'Donovan (Limerick County, Fine Gael)
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In terms of funding available to the higher education sector for mental health supports, higher education institutions (HEIs) receive funding from a variety of sources that contribute to the expenditure associated with the full range of institutional activities. This includes recurrent funding allocated by my Department to the Higher Education Authority (HEA) for direct disbursement to HEA funded higher education institutions.

As autonomous bodies the internal disbursement of funding, including the funding and expansion of student services and mental health supports, is a matter for the individual institution.

Recognising the pressures on students arising from COVID and cost-of-living issues, since 2020 my Department has provided a total of €25.9 million in additional funding to Higher Education Institutions to support mental health measures for students on their educational journey.

This funding consists of core funding and additional funding: core allocation of €2m, as well as an additional €3m per annum. 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.

This funding is to further support Higher Education Institutions in meeting the mental health and wellbeing needs of their student population and in implementing the National Student Mental Health and Suicide Prevention Framework (2020).

HEIs in receipt of this additional funding are encouraged to distribute 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 of 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