As the Deputy is aware, Higher Education Institutions are autonomous institutions and therefore it is a matter for individual institutions to determine the rate of tuition fees for postgraduate academic programmes including psychology.
My Department is strongly committed to supporting the health and wellbeing of the population through the provision of graduates with the key competencies and skills to be effective in the health workforce, and support a range of clinical teams in our health services.
My Department understands there is a longstanding arrangement in place under which the HSE recruit Trainee Clinical Psychologists and sponsor their training in order to encourage employment with the HSE of suitably qualified professionals. This arrangement is made by the HSE and is not the responsibility of my Department. The question of whether similar arrangements should be put in place in relation to other psychological specialities in order to meet their workforce needs is a matter for consideration by the appropriate recruiting bodies.
Issues arising from sponsorships and employment eligibility in relation to psychologists, and indeed more generally, are matters for relevant employers rather than the responsibility of my Department.
