Marian Harkin (Sligo-Leitrim, Independent) | Oireachtas source

As the Minister said, this scheme came into being last May 2023. That is almost a year ago, and Leitrim is one of the seven counties in this scheme, along with Cavan, Laois, Longford, Tipperary, Mayo and Monaghan. This is a very valuable scheme. It provides counselling outside of the NEPS scheme. You do not need a full assessment from teachers etc. in order to get access to the scheme. It is a much more agile scheme. Teachers have to make a judgment through their interactions with the students and it really is very beneficial. However, it is no good if it is not available to those students. There is nobody on that panel as of now that will travel to north Leitrim to provide the service as announced, and I know four schools that are looking for that service. There is a lot of advertising of this service on social media and all of that, yet when schools go looking for it, it is not there. Parents are contacting schools asking what is happening, and I hope I can get a positive response from the Minister this evening.

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