Dáil Éireann debate -
Tuesday, 24 Jun 2003

Vol. 569 No. 3

Written Answers. - Psychological Service.

Seán Ryan

Question:

117 Mr. S. Ryan asked the Minister for Health and Children the steps which have been taken to implement the recommendations contained in the report of the review group on psychological services within the health services which was published in May 2002; if his attention has been drawn to the serious concern expressed by psychologists at the failure to implement the recommendations; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [17558/03]

Minister for Health and Children (Mr. Martin)

I am aware of the concerns of the psychology profession regarding the implementation process for the report of the joint review group on psychological services in the health services.

Following the publication of the report 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 Board 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 present position is that the directors of human resources are in the process of individually considering the recommendations contained in the report on 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.

Given these constraints my Department, together with the directors of human resources in the health boards, is prioritising support for the implementation of a key recommendation of the joint review report relating to human resource planning through the provision of a substantial number of additional post-graduate training places in clinical psychology. This has resulted in a threefold increase from end-1999 to end-2002, from 26 to 84, in the number of trainee clinical psychologists employed in the health services. At present, there are about 105 clinical psychologists undertaking post-graduate training in the State. Over 60 students are enrolled on the Psychological Society of Ireland's clinical psychologist post-graduate training diploma, 24 are enrolled on the doctoral programme in clinical psychology at TCD – 12 in first year and 12 in second year – and 19 are enrolled on the doctoral programme in clinical psychology at UCD – ten in second year and nine in third year. It is understood that both the National University of Ireland, Galway and the University of Limerick have plans to introduce doctoral programmes in clinical psychology in 2003 with an intake of a further 20 students in total. These developments, in enhancing graduate output, will help maintain an improved balance between demand and supply in human resource and service provision.

My Department remains committed to working on an ongoing basis with health agencies, educational providers and the education authorities to ensure adequate provision of training places in clinical psychology consistent with the medium-term human resource requirements of the health services as detailed in the important recommendations on investment in training and education detailed in the Action Plan for People Management published in November 2002.

A particular priority is to secure the best return, in terms of graduate output, on the very significant financial resources currently being invested in the health services to support post-graduate clinical psychology training. Consequently, my Department, together with the health boards' directors of human resources, is currently examining the current model for post-graduate psychology training with the objective of supporting training provision on a planned and sustainable medium-term basis.

In addition to measures to increase the supply of psychologists through the implementation of the recommendations of the joint review report, 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 basic grade 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.

The Deputy may also wish to note the significant increase in excess of 40%, an increase of 125 from 291 to 416, over the three years to end-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.