Dáil Éireann Debate, Tuesday - 25 July 2023
1465. Deputy Ivana Bacik asked the Minister for Further and Higher Education, Research, Innovation and Science the estimated cost of reducing the student to counsellor ratio to 1 counsellor to 1,000 students from the current 1 to 1,500 ratio; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [36912/23]
View answerIt is not possible to provide the Deputy with actual costings to reduce the student to counsellor ratio as all higher education institutions are autonomous bodies and may have different methods of providing counselling services.
As part of its broader sectoral objective of supporting students on their journey to success, in and through higher education, my Department has allocated €20.9 million through the Higher Education Authority to Higher Education Institutions since 2020 for mental health and wellbeing supports.
This funding consists of core core allocation of €2m, as well as an additional €3m, which has been provided to help alleviate pressures in the area of student mental health arising from COVID-19. The additional €3m is in place for the 23/24 academic year.
This funding is to assist HEI's in meeting the mental health and wellbeing needs of their student population and in implementing the National Student Mental Health and Suicide Prevention Framework (2020).
In 2022 an additional €900,000 was made available for supporting Ukrainian students registered in Irish HEIs and who are in Ireland under a temporary Section 60 order.
In 2022, the HEA formally took over the implementation of the Healthy Campus Charter and Framework. This Framework aims to embed health and wellbeing more broadly within institutions and provides strategic direction on developing a whole-campus approach to health and wellbeing.
HEIs in receipt of additional funding are encouraged to distribute it in support of specific student-facing areas, such as:
Recruitment of additional Student Counsellors
Recruitment of additional Assistant Psychologists
Head of Service posts
Training of 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
The majority of new posts created through this funding have been counsellors, reflecting the capacity building phase of the implementation of the Framework.
HEIs have reported a breadth of positive impacts, from a reduction in engagement times to an increase in the number of sessions provided.
Table:
|
Year |
Total |
|
2020 |
€5m |
|
2021 |
€5m |
|
2022 |
€5.9m* |
|
2023 |
€5m |
|
Grand Total 2020-2023 Inclusive |
€20.9m |
*includes additional €900,000 was made available for supporting Ukrainian students registered in Irish HEIs and who are in Ireland under a temporary Section 60 order.
