Dáil Éireann Debate, Monday - 11 September 2023
1748. Deputy Martin Browne asked the Minister for Health his plans to work with Trinity College with the intent of reinstating its specialist MSc in children’s mental health; to outline how the discontinuation of this course will not pose recruitment problems for CAMHS, as attributed to the HSE in recent media reports; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [38353/23]
View answerThe course referenced is a postgraduate MSc course in Mental Health, which has a number of specialist sections including CAMHS. It is not considered the main pathway or qualification required to work within CAMHS, but it is an additional academic qualification that some clinicians may decide to pursue. Completion of this course is not required to work in CAMHS. Many CAMHS staff will undertake other, shorter postgraduate skills-based training. It is not anticipated that the cancellation of this specific course will lead to further recruitment problems in CAMHS.
Over the past number of months, the HSE has been working to create the first Health Service Executive Strategic Resourcing Plan, which will create resourcing action and implementation plans for each staff category for the short, medium and long term. The HSE has been proactive in addressing recruitment challenges by funding targeted initiatives from within mental health resources including targeted engagement with Colleges/Training Bodies and undergraduate students/new graduates to promote opportunities in health and social care professional roles within mental health services.
The HSE has also invested €6m annually since 2016 to generate additional Nurse training capacity, €1.5m annually since 2020 in a Higher Specialist Training course to train 40 additional consultant psychiatrist posts each year and €5m annually since 2016 to recruit 130 assistant psychology posts to help in part to alleviate staffing shortages within mental health.
