Third Level Education

Dáil Éireann Debate, Thursday - 1 June 2023

Thursday, 1 June 2023

Questions (101)

Mark Ward

Question:

101. Deputy Mark Ward asked the Minister for Further and Higher Education, Research, Innovation and Science if he plans to increase the number of places in third level education for mental health that would escalate the number of professionals entering mental health care. [26484/23]

Written answers

Minister for Further and Higher Education, Research, Innovation and Science

My Department is strongly committed to supporting the health and welfare 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.

Healthcare programmes are by their nature complex in delivery. The availability of appropriate placements and placement supports is a key enabler of expansion. A working group, including representation from the Department of Health, HSE and CORU, as well as the higher education sector, has been established to specifically examine how placements can be secured to facilitate greater numbers of training places.

Officials in my Department are engaging with Higher Education Institutions to explore possible areas of expansion of existing health care programmes, including mental health nursing programmes and clinical and counselling psychology. My officials are also engaging with the Department of Health as these additional places require the allocation of resources, and require placements to be put in place by the HSE and the Department of Health.

Nursing, which would include mental health nursing, was one of the disciplines included in the recent HEA exercise to identify where capacity could be built in the higher education sector. I will shortly bring a memorandum to Government to outline the opportunities identified, the costs arising with any expansion and to outline the engagements I have had on the options outlined with my colleague the Minister for Health

This builds upon the significant increase in medicine, nursing and health and social care professional course places that has been introduced since my Department was set up just three years ago.