Richard Bruton (Dublin Bay North, Fine Gael) | Oireachtas source

I outlined in the reply the role Tusla plays, in particular using its home school community liaison service, its support for public transport, the additional resources for family support, social work and education and welfare. As the Deputy is aware, that whole element has been transferred to the Department of Children and Youth Affairs. My Department's national educational psychological service, NEPS, provides support to schools to allow them have the capacity to deal with well-being problems presented by all students. Children who are homeless are likely to present with particular problems so we have strengthened that service. It has a model where individual children can be referred but also it tends to work more to build the capacity of schools to deal with problems they encounter. Across the range we are very sensitive to the needs. There is no doubt that children who are homeless present particular problems but as the Deputy knows, there are many children who present problems to which we have to cater. The build up of the well-being programme and the NEPS and the Tusla services are designed to be flexible and respond to the needs as they arise.

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