Dáil Éireann Debate, Tuesday - 25 July 2023
1466. Deputy Ivana Bacik asked the Minister for Further and Higher Education, Research, Innovation and Science if his Department provides specific funding for institutions to have a campus psychiatrist and mental health nurse; if so, the amount; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [36914/23]
View answer1467. Deputy Ivana Bacik asked the Minister for Further and Higher Education, Research, Innovation and Science the projected cost for all higher education institutions to be able to draw on Government funding for a campus psychiatrist and mental health nurse; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [36915/23]
View answerI propose to take Questions Nos. 1466 and 1467 together.
Higher Education Institutions are autonomous bodies within the meaning of the Universities Act 1997, the Institutes of Technology Acts 1992 to 2006, and the Technological Universities Act 2018 as appropriate.
As autonomous bodies they are responsible for their own day-to-day management and operational affairs, including the management of student services is a matter for the individual institution. Specific funding for campus psychiatrists and mental health nurses is not provided by my Department. The introduction of a such services would be a matter for individual Higher Education Institutions within the context of their overall student support services and on this basis costings are not available from my Department.
€20.9 million will be allocated by my Department through the Higher Education Authority to Higher Education Institutions for the years 2020-2023 for mental health and wellbeing.
This funding consists of a core allocation of €2m, as well as an additional €3m which was provided in recent years to help alleviate pressures in the area of student mental health arising from COVID-19. This additional €3m is also available for the 2023/2024 academic year.
The funding being delivered by the Higher Education Authority targets the support of student mental health and wellbeing, with a specific focus on the provision of counselling services. The funding is also integral to the implementation of the National Student Mental Health and Suicide Prevention Framework launched in 2020, Ireland’s first-ever national approach to address student mental health and suicide prevention.
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.
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 |
Allocations |
|
Year |
Total |
|
2020 |
€5m |
|
2021 |
€5m |
|
2022 |
€5.9m* |
|
2023 |
€5m |
|
Grand Total 2020-2023 Inclusive |
€20.9m |
*includes €900k for for supporting Ukrainian students registered in Irish HEIs and who are in Ireland under a temporary Section 60 order.
