Paul Kehoe (Wexford, Fine Gael) | Oireachtas source

Does Ms Tansey believe the streamlining is satisfactory at the moment because many people would disagree with that and say it is not a satisfactory at the moment? I engage with parents and, as a politician, I do not believe any parent should have to approach their local Deputy, councillor or Senator to look for these services or approach me, as a public representative, to speed up the provision of these services. It is terrible when a parent has to go to a politician to spill their heart out because of the delay in services. I do not believe it is down to funding; it is often down to the streamlining of the services between the National Educational Psychological Service, NEPS, the Department of Education and the HSE. We could spend the next two to three hours arguing on that point but I wish to allow other members to come back into this discussion.

A key recommendation in the Special Committee on Covid-19 Response report on the impact of Covid-19 on primary and secondary education was that emotional counselling and therapeutic support should be provided in all primary and secondary schools as an urgent priority. I have no doubt that our witnesses, as officials, have read the report that was commissioned by the committee. For their information, these were recommendations Nos. 9 and 25.

Could the officials brief the committee on any progress that has been made with regard to the implementation of these recommendations with specific reference to students with special education needs?