Dáil Éireann Debate, Tuesday - 30 November 2021
129. Deputy Jennifer Carroll MacNeill asked the Minister for Further and Higher Education, Research, Innovation and Science the funding that has been provided to support the mental health and wellbeing of students in 2021; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [58537/21]
View answerThe support and wellbeing of our students is a priority for my Department, particularly in light of the Covid-19 pandemic, and the increased stress and pressure resulting from it.
In 2020, I secured a comprehensive package of financial supports from Government for the higher education and further education and training sectors to mitigate the impact of Covid.
This package included funding of €3m to underpin wellbeing and mental health and student services in our higher education institutions. This was in addition to the €2m funding that was allocated in Budget 2020 and funding that institutions already provide for these services. This funding commitment has been maintained in 2021.
The 2021 funding will be allocated in a manner consistent with the process implemented by the HEA in 2020.
HEIs will again be requested to utilise funds allocated towards student facing services, such as:
- Recruitment of additional Student Counsellors;
- Recruitment of additional Assistant Psychologists;
- Head of service posts for those HEIs employing more than 2 FTEs;
- Training of HEI 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;
- Implementation of the National Student Mental Health and Suicide Prevention Framework;
- Implementation of the Framework for Consent in HEIs; Safe, Respectful, Supportive and Positive: Ending Sexual Harassment in Irish Higher Education Institutions.
Student Counselling Service staff will be asked to continue to ensure consistent delivery to students, and to increase the capacity and reach of their activity as students return to campus. They will be requested to take account of learnings from the 2020 process and any recommendations developed by the HEA. HEIs will be required to provide detailed reports on their use of funds allocated by the HEA in 2022.
Details of the allocations to each higher education institution are available at:
www.gov.ie/en/press-release/e297d-financial-and-mental-health-wellbeing-supports-to-students-worth-22-million-announced-by-minister-harris/
