Carol Nolan (Laois-Offaly, Independent) | Oireachtas source

I was not advocating that they would fill the role of therapist by any means. As someone who spent 12 years working in the education system, I suggest we need to acknowledge that we have very long waiting lists for kids to see therapists. I am suggesting that if a guidance counsellor is there, at least the child has somebody to hear them, listen to them and talk to them, and perhaps to put a programme in place in the school to alert other teachers to the problems and to the fact that the child needs support. I am not suggesting for a second that they fill the role of therapist but that children should have access to an adult who will listen to them if they are very overwhelmed on a particular day or there are problems in the family. It is about having a listening ear, whether it is from a counsellor or a therapist. We have to acknowledge that the waiting lists here are unacceptably long. I have seen at first hand how long it can take for children who need psychiatric care to receive the services they need. It is ridiculous. We have a sham of a system. All I suggest is that an adult who is already in the school can try to fill the gaping gap in services, so that the child can speak to somebody as part of the journey towards getting help, if there is trauma. At least it would be a stepping stone if there were someone in the school who could alert other staff and put supports in place urgently.