Fiona O'Loughlin (Kildare South, Fianna Fail) | Oireachtas source

The future of society depends on our ability to foster the healthy development of the next generation. The motion before the House seeks to highlight the effects of toxic stress on children as they make their way through the education system. Toxic stress has been described by academics in many universities when they have looked at the impact of stress on children. There can be no greater stress than when a child and his or her family is made homeless. We were all shocked when we heard the new figures that came out last week. It can be extrapolated from those figures that almost 4,000 children are homeless. Many of them are in the greater Dublin area. Interestingly, we heard at a presentation yesterday that the percentage increase is actually higher outside of Dublin. I think homelessness has increased by 11.5 times outside Dublin. When we think about these children and the households, we are struck by their negative experiences. When a child loses his or her home, it is absolutely awful because he or she loses his or her primary source of support. Families can lose their houses for many reasons. If they were renting privately, they may have been evicted. Family homes can be lost in circumstances involving domestic violence or family breakup. The reason does not matter because people in homelessness suffer on many levels. We are looking at how we can help to support children.

There are 150 homeless people in County Kildare at the moment. Last year, I met a number of families with children who were sitting State examinations and heard about the crises they were facing. Families suffer when they are unable to give their children security, routine, predictability and the ability to develop friendships. In such circumstances, the school often has to take over to a certain extent. It is sometimes the only safe place where a child can enjoy the routine he or she may have been used to. Being homeless affects every aspect of a child's education, including his or her behaviour, attendance, educational attainment and social response. The lack of cooking facilities in emergency homeless accommodation can mean that children do not get proper breakfasts and are unable to bring proper lunches to school. Schools have not received one element of communication or correspondence to explain how they should deal with such issues. It is absolutely at crisis point. Teachers and schools are trying to do their very best to support these children. They absolutely need that support. A cross-departmental approach, involving extra funding for non-DEIS schools and home school liaison, is needed. As many of these children are in non-DEIS schools, they are not getting the support of a teacher to help them to deal with their problems. These children have been failed by society on many levels. Our teachers and schools want to do the right thing. The parents of these children want to do the right thing. It is up to us to provide them with the supports they need. I commend the motion.

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