Ms Lorraine Dempsey:

A more collaborative and co-design approach from very early on would be helpful and has worked well in other Departments. It is about listening to the voice of the child and finding out what it is that children actually want. We know from our own survey of parents that 10% or 11% of children are happier at home. The stresses of being in the school environment created a crisis for them on an ongoing basis. There were bullying issues and their mental health was suffering. It is imperative to listen to the voice of children. While it is okay for us parents to talk, we need to be able to understand what our children want as well. One of the key things that stood out for me from the survey was the fact that more than 80% of children missed their friends and the school environment. During the first couple of weeks of the lockdown, the question that was repeated to me every minute was "When is the virus over?". My daughter wanted to go to school and see her friends.