Jennifer Carroll MacNeill (Dún Laoghaire, Fine Gael) | Oireachtas source

I thank the witnesses for the work they have done over the past number of months and their engagement with the Department. The voice of parents is very important at this time and I thank them for everything that they have done.

I want to raise one overarching issues and then a few practical issues, if I may. The overarching issue is mental health supports for young people of all ages getting back to school. It is one thing to have disruption of four or even six weeks in terms of not getting quite as far ahead in the curriculum, long division or whatever else but the mental health side of this could have much longer impacts. We have seen that children of different ages will react to this period of disruption and loneliness in different ways. What conversations have the witnesses had with the Department in regard to supporting children, as well as supporting parents to be able to support their children as they move back into this difficult transition?