Health Board blunder wrecks students’ study and wedding plans
The three-year Doctoral Programme in Clinical Psychology programme was to begin early last month, funded by the Northern Area Health Board of the Eastern Regional Health Authority.
Authorities contracted 12 students to work for three years after completing the doctorate, beginning the course on a 32,000 euro salary.
But the successful applicants were staggered to hear the programme was being postponed just weeks before the start date because the health board had not secured necessary funding.
Among them was 23-year-old Trudy Meehan from Wexford, who gave up her position as a researcher to make the move. She and her fiancé Michael Guilfoyle began renting a house in Blackrock and were on holiday in early September when she received the news by e-mail.
“I was hugely disappointed, after being selected from more than 100 applicants last January,” said Trudy, who is just completing a Masters to complement her UCC psychology degree.
But Michael is also upset because he was employed by TCD as a lecturer.
“He was working as a clinical psychologist in Wexford, where we were renting a home, but he always wanted to lecture,” she said.
“We had hoped to get married next August, but with just one salary we couldn’t afford it, so now we’re just hoping the money can be found somewhere,” said Trudy.
The Northern Area Health Board said last night it is in discussions with the Department of Health, TCD and the other ERHA health boards to secure funding for the course.
The ERHA has just half the number of clinical psychologists it needs to work with child abuse victims, people with learning disabilities or eating disorders and other patients.
