Mr. David Duffy:

There are three aspects, namely, social and emotional intelligence, the well-being programme in the junior cycle and the forthcoming senior cycle review from the NCCA, which is due to go to the Minister soon. The TUI, in its commentary on that report, believes that education should be respected in its widest sense. While it has a role in preparing for the labour market and for further and higher education, it also has a role in the sense of education for education's sake, and much of the social and emotional aspect will come into that.

As for CAMHS, NEPS and so on, staff, through no fault of their own, are under severe pressure. Schools find it difficult to get support for students in crisis.

On the other supports needed for schools to deal with social and emotional intelligence and students in crisis, there are pastoral supports such as guidance counsellors, middle management and home school and community liaison officers, HSCLOs. The Deputy referred to the pupil-teacher ratio. If staff have fewer students at any point, they are more likely to be able to pick up on those small triggers that show that a student is possibly displaying the first signs of difficulty.