Paul Kehoe (Wexford, Fine Gael) | Oireachtas source

Okay.

I have one last question. This committee did a huge amount of work when it went to the UK to study mental health supports in primary and post-primary education. That was approximately two or two and a half years ago and a lot of the committee members have changed over those two years.

About two years ago we made a recommendation to the Department of Education which, in fairness, took it on board. Taking on the recommendation is one thing but having the best service provided for the child is another issue. Therapeutic services are being rolled out in primary schools now on a kind of trial or pilot basis at the moment. There is no link between the Department of Health and the HSE. If we are to have the best therapeutic services for children and for the families as well, because there is a follow-on impact, do the witnesses believe the HSE and the Department should have a major role to play here for the wider family unit? It might not be just the one person needing the therapeutic services but the whole family, which I know it is a totally different ball game. There is no use looking after just one person in the family if there is a bigger issue. In a lot of the cases that are brought to my attention, where people are in need of therapeutic supports and counselling etc., it is not just one member of the family needing support, often the parents need it as well.