Thomas Byrne (Meath East, Fianna Fail) | Oireachtas source

Although a well-being programme has never been more necessary, I am worried that it has become a buzzword for the Government. Coding was a buzzword in 2016 and this year well-being is becoming a buzzword. The follow-up is not being provided. There has been extremely limited follow-up to coding provision.

The Minister is dressing up PE and the old civic, social and political education, CSPE, and taking hours from other academic subjects to provide these well-being classes. They have never been more necessary. However, there is something slightly underhand in this. It is part of the solution to the severe mental health crisis that exists in society, but the Department is not being honest about it. A report at Christmas of an interview given by the Minister of State, Deputy McEntee, described the classes as mental health hours. That is not what it is. PE is a large part of this, and the Minister needs to come clean and explain what schools are supposed to do and when they are to do it.

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