Ms Eleanor McClorey:

I was struck by the submission, Well-Being in Post-Primary Schools - Guidelines for Mental Health Promotion and Suicide Prevention. Well-being in post primary schools will be built on the well-being of children coming into that sector. One cannot separate out a child of 12 or 13 years moving to second level and expect his or her well-being to be any better than it is as they cross that threshold.

Much of the focus of Young Ballymun has been on developing two key strategies, one of which is an infant mental health strategy in partnership with the HSE and CAMHS for children 0-3 years and their parents. The notion of inviting health officials to address the committee is interesting. This issue is hugely relevant for children and families. As we all know, the intersection between health and education is artificial at family or child level. These services are all integrated around the child and the family. One might ask why the 0-3 years period is critical to secondary school. Parental attachment, attunement processes and the pre-language development, brain development and social and emotional competences of a young child provide the foundation for the development of every other effort of the child, his or her parents and the teachers and community organisations around them. This is intimately connected with the issues confronting secondary schools and the strategies required to be designed to respond to them.

On our implementation of the Incredible Years programme across primary schools in Ballymun, the independent evaluation is available on our website. There have been two key outcomes, namely, parental depression and stress levels reduced significantly from levels of clinical concern to within normal mental health boundaries and, for children, there were significantly increased pro-social behaviours and a marked decrease in hyperactivity combined with decreases in emotional and conduct problems. As those members who were formerly teachers will know all of these gains for children and parents are intrinsically linked to their educational attainment. Also important is parental well-being and the ability, confidence and competence to manage the secondary school development of one's child. As a parent who has completed that journey I know that building an effective relationship with one's child in adolescence is difficult. It is a time when naturally parent-child and young person-teacher communications can be strained and complex but is a normal pathway of development. The strength or otherwise of the bonds, attachments and communications that we developed with our children in their much earlier stages of development carries most of us through to adulthood.

The role of the parent in whole-school strategies is also important. The World Health Organization whole-school approach also underpinned our work with primary schools in Ballymun. Parents are a key element of a whole-school approach. Building the competence and capacities of teachers is also essential. Children's self-regulatory, self-expressive and self-awareness capacities are at the core of mental health and well-being. Parents can be so easily left out of this loop from birth onwards. It can all be about the child or other people. The parent is the primary promoter and protector of the child's welfare and mental health and development. Investing in parental awareness skills, knowledge and understanding is important.

I was struck by Deputy Butler's observation in regard to his role on the school management committee in certain situations. I identify with that. I am sure members will identify with parents being traumatised by their inability to respond to their children's needs.