Dáil Éireann debate -
Wednesday, 7 May 2003

Vol. 566 No. 1

Written Answers. - Psychological Service.

Brian O'Shea

Question:

426 Mr. O'Shea asked the Minister for Health and Children his proposals to achieve a significant reduction in the number of vacancies in the psychological services in the medium term; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [11508/03]

Minister for Health and Children (Mr. Martin)

The Deputy may wish to note the significant increase, in excess of 40% – an increase of 121 to 412 – over the three years to the end of 2002 in the numbers of fully qualified psychologists working in the health service, which has contributed to a significant increase in the volume of psychological services provided.

Responsibility for human resource planning, including the filling of vacant psychologist posts in each health board region, rests with the chief executive officer of each board. Each chief executive officer, in managing the workforce in his or her region, is responsible for determining the appropriate staffing mix and the precise grades of staff to be employed in line with service plan priorities, subject to overall employment levels remaining within the approved regional employment ceiling. My Department, together with the health boards, is currently supporting the implementation of a key recommendation of the report of the joint review group on psychological services in the health services relating to human resource planning, through the provision of a substantial number of additional postgraduate training places in clinical psychology. This has resulted in a threefold increase since the end of 1999, from 26 to 83, in the number of student clinical psychologists employed in the health services.

My Department is continuing to work with health agencies and the education authorities to ensure adequate training places in clinical psychology consistent with the human resource requirements of the health services and the important recommendations on investment in training and education detailed in the action plan for people management, published in November 2002, in order to secure the best return on the very significant financial resources currently being invested in supporting postgraduate clinical psychology training.

In addition, it should be recognised that other efforts have been undertaken to improve staffing levels in the psychological services, both at local and national level. Relevant developments include the recruitment of psychologists from overseas by the health boards, the introduction of a fast-track working visa scheme for health and social care professionals, the streamlining of procedures for the validation of overseas qualifications and the devolution of responsibility for recruitment of certain psychologist posts to health boards from the Local Appointments Commission. Ongoing pay enhancements through the implementation of the recommendations of the public service benchmarking body will make a further contribution to reducing current vacancy levels by increasing the attractiveness of employment as a clinical psychologist in the health services.

Brian O'Shea

Question:

427 Mr. O'Shea asked the Minister for Health and Children, further to the recommendations of the joint review group of psychological career structures, his proposals to establish the post of director in each health board area and to establish the post of principal in each community care area; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [11509/03]

Minister for Health and Children (Mr. Martin)

Following the publication of the report of the joint review group on psychological services in the health services in March 2002, a major priority for my Department was to promote an integrated and co-ordinated approach by the health boards to its implementation over time. This applied in particular to the major recommendations of the report relating to the organisation and management of psychology services, entailing very substantial increases in the number of principal and director level psychologist posts.

Given the key role of the Health Boards Executive in fostering collective working and progressing organisational change and development in the health service, my Department secured the agreement of the executive to work with the directors of human resources in the health boards towards the implementation of the recommendations of the report. The current position is that the directors of human resources are in the process of individually considering the recommendations contained in the report and how their boards might propose to proceed with the implementation process in due course. This work is being undertaken in light of service imperatives, funding priorities and the Budget 2003 announcement on public service numbers. In this context, it is important to bear in mind that the overall budgetary and economic position in 2003 has had important implications for all aspects of public spending, and this is reflected in the Estimates and budget adopted by Government for 2003.