Dr. David Duffy:

My thanks to the Senator for the reference to the TUI submission. Suicide and suicidal ideation are incredibly serious.

NEPS and CAMHS are agencies on which schools rely very heavily if a student is in a crisis. A report published in 2018 by an Oireachtas committee found that NEPS was significantly understaffed, while a study published by the Department of Education in 2020 found referrals to CAMHS had risen by more than 50% in seven years. The committee needs to bear in mind that student numbers will rise dramatically in post-primary schools in the coming years. When there is a crisis, schools need to be able to rely on these services. I need to make clear that I am not criticising the staff involved in those services, who are dealing with caseloads that are simply unmanageable.