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

The school about which I gave the Minister details, which we are not mentioning here, contacted the Department in February, and again in March it submitted what I think is called the appendix 1 form. It has not heard back from the Department. It would be very useful if the Minister's Department could contact the school to let it know the situation. As the Minister knows, if a principal thinks a child needs this service, it is quite a difficult conversation to have with a parent, and then if they apply for the service there is nothing there. The Minister has told me there is another counsellor available - I think she said from 11 April - to work in Leitrim. I do know that when a counsellor was contacted, they said they could not travel the distance as it was approximately 60 km. I hope that will not be the case in this circumstance, and that whoever this counsellor is will be able to travel to the various schools in north Leitrim that need this service. It is not the schools that need it; it is the children. As the Minister said, it is a good service but it needs to be accessible for students in north Leitrim.

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