Seán Sherlock (Cork East, Labour) | Oireachtas source

I accept the point the Deputy is making. Perhaps it is a commentary on life in this country at present for people who are unemployed, employed or in specific professions that the level of stress has increased dramatically. We have had a recession for more than five years at this stage and that takes its toll. Decisions have been made on budgetary issues pertaining to education involving a reduction in services as a result of the macroeconomic situation in which we find ourselves.

In my experience, teachers as a cohort are very supportive of each other in terms of developing mechanisms for dealing with stress. I have an open mind on the issue. I honestly do not know how the Department can put in place mechanisms that are funded to assist teachers specifically to alleviate stress. I do not know how one would achieve that without achieving it in other areas of the public sector also. There are definite guidelines on students. It is an apolitical space. Through providing guidelines for the promotion of mental health and suicide prevention, the State is doing a lot to ensure the health and well-being of pupils.

The straight answer to the Deputy's question is that I do not know how one would develop a mechanism that is funded specifically for teachers but I have an open mind on the matter.

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