Katherine Zappone (Dublin South West, Independent) | Oireachtas source

I thank the Deputy for his question and for the opportunity to clarify my position. I am concerned about the impact of the decision to close the school counselling grants scheme. Like the Deputy, I have met school principals in my constituency on this matter. They have communicated very clearly the importance of these grants for the welfare of the children in their schools, using language and expression similar to that used by the principal from whom the Deputy received correspondence. I am meeting Tusla early next week to examine this matter further.

First, I would like to outline the rationale I have received from Tusla for closing the scheme. I have been advised by Tusla education and welfare service, EWS, that the grant scheme which was originally established in 1994 by the then Department of Social Welfare was to provide counselling support for children affected by bereavement or loss. This scheme was closed in 2011 while under the remit of the then Family Support Agency due to budget cuts and no new applicants have been accepted since this time. Only those grantees in 2011 receiving funding continued to do so. The scheme came under the remit of Tusla in 2014. This counselling grants scheme is for a total of €245,900 annually and currently there are only 64 grantees nationwide benefiting from it. With more than 4,000 schools in Ireland, 64 grantees means less than 2% of schools were in receipt of support from this scheme while it remained closed to all other schools. The necessity for bereavement and loss counselling still exists in schools throughout the country. Tusla was of the view that it was unfair and unethical to continue providing support to a small number of areas while excluding all other schools from the scheme. Thus, the decision was made to cease the scheme in its current format. Following on from this decision Tusla EWS informed grantees in January 2016, and as part of the 2016-2017 grant application process reconfirmed, that the scheme would not operate for 2017-2018. The EWS wrote again to confirm this in January 2017. In this context it is important to note that each school completion programme can utilise up to €5,000 of their funding for counselling.

To ensure continued counselling support to children, Tusla provides child counselling through the agency’s family support services funding. In 2016, funding solely for child counselling was increased under this scheme to €680,000. In particular, child counselling funding to approximately 70 family resource centres throughout Ireland was increased to €242,000. The agency is the main funder of Barnardos children’s bereavement service which works to support children and families coping with death. This includes a bereavement telephone helpline and a highly skilled therapeutic service that supports children, particularly in relation to complicated grief and traumatic loss. The funding was increased by €20,000 in 2016, with total funding to the service now €154,600.

The agency is also committed to the funding of Rainbows Ireland which provides group based support to children dealing with loss following parental separation-divorce or a death. The Rainbows programme is delivered in more than 250 schools and community-based centres throughout the country. Funding in 2016 was increased by €15,000 to €250,000 annually. I know that Tusla is keen to ensure counselling services are available to all children who need them. I intend to seek reassurances from it that this decision does not have an unforeseen and unintended impact.

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