Aisling Dolan (Fine Gael) | Oireachtas source

I thank Dr. Muldoon. Deputy Conway-Walsh will have time to contribute again. I will make a few points before inviting members to speak again, as needed.

I thank the witnesses for attending, for their commitment and for their opening statements. It is great to hear how rich the initiatives are between, for example, libraries and Barnardo's.

It is fantastic to see: Fighting Words, the creativity, growing in the soil and so on, and the impact that has on young people and children.

I will begin with Barnardos. Ms Connolly highlighted reasons for mental health challenges. Her opening statement gave parental mental health challenges, sometimes neglect, separation of the family unit, bereavement and parental addiction as primary causes. She spoke about the national well-being programme being rolled out in specific areas, including Dublin 15, Tallaght, south Tipperary, Limerick and Thurles and to roughly 500 children in schools. How long has that national well-being programme been going on? What are the constraints on it? It is great to reach those children but there are so many in primary and secondary school. Will Ms Connolly comment on that? I think her opening statement mentioned teachers and parents participating. Will she comment on that?

Ms Connolly spoke at this committee or it could have been at the Joint Sub-Committee on Mental Health about Roots of Empathy. It was impressive to hear about that programme. From what she said, I believe it makes a difference in how it engages with young people and children and the changes in them. It is the activity, and showing it for others and themselves.

I will start with that and come back with questions for the others.