Dáil Éireann Debate, Monday - 11 September 2023
1949. Deputy Mark Ward asked the Minister for Health for a comprehensive breakdown of funding for trainee counselling psychology positions at Trinity College Dublin; what options are available to students in positions that are unfunded; if efforts will be made to fund these positions; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [39265/23]
View answerAs the Deputy will be aware, I secured funding of €750,000 in Budget 2023 to support the training and education of counselling psychologists. This funding represents the totality of funding available from the Department of Health for the training of counselling psychology students and constitutes the available funding available for administration by the HSE.
The final details of the counselling psychology funding scheme were formulated as part of intensive discussions with the HSE over the last number of months, and were finalised between the Department of Health and the HSE in late July. The recent Press Release which publicly announced the scheme may be of interest to you and is available here: www.gov.ie/en/press-release/85c5d-minister-butler-announces-750000-in-funding-for-new-initiative-to-fund-counselling-psychology-training-places/.
Particular care was taken to ensure that the structure of this funding and the approach taken was based on best practice and knowledge gained from other health and social care funded training models. The final scheme was developed to make the best use of the available funding, and to benefit as many students as possible in a sustainable manner.
This funding demonstrates the Government’s commitment to strengthen access to psychology training. The Department of Health and I have been focused on supporting counselling psychology students in an equitable way that benefits students across all years of the Doctorate in Counselling Psychology while also delivering value for money.
The structure of the €750,00 funding has been finalised, to be phased in commencing in the academic year 2023/2024, with ten new first year students enrolled from this year onwards each receiving a total financial support package of €75,000 over the 3 years of their course.
Ten students in second and third year will each have 60% of their fees paid in each of their remaining years and receive a support payment of €3,500 each year also.
In relation to the operationalisation of this funding, as well as details of other options that might be available to students outside of this funding stream, I have referred your question to the HSE to provide any further information that might be available.
