Paul Kehoe (Wexford, Fine Gael) | Oireachtas source

I move:

That Dáil Éireann shall take note of the Report of the Joint Committee on Education, Further and Higher Education, Research, Innovation and Science entitled "Mental Health Supports in Schools and Tertiary Education", copies of which were laid before Dáil Éireann on 25th January, 2023.

I am grateful to the House for providing the opportunity to debate this important motion on the Joint Committee on Education, Further and Higher Education, Research, Innovation and Science report on mental health supports in schools and tertiary education. Mental health issues among young people have increased exponentially in recent years. By the way, I should have said I welcome the Minister of State, Deputy Butler, and thank her for being before the House to listen to this very important debate. Young people have had to face unprecedented challenges, such as the recent pandemic, an increase in social media pressures, artificial intelligence threats, academic and societal expectations and global uncertainty. The joint committee identified mental health supports in schools as a matter of national concern warranting examination in a considered and sensitive manner. This comes on foot of earlier work carried out by the committee, including the joint committee's 2021 report on school bullying and the impact on mental health and the 2022 report Leaving Certificate Reform: The Need for a New Senior Cycle. As a starting point, we acknowledged that early intervention and prevention are fundamentally important in reversing this trend. Children and young people should be given the tools and supports that help build resilience and promote positive mental health. The joint committee agreed to produce a report to examine how a fit-for-purpose mental health programme can be implemented in all schools and tertiary education institutions. While the report focuses primarily on student supports, it recognises the need to support the entire school and tertiary education communities.

We identified the following key areas for examination: primary and post-primary school mental health supports, to include counselling provision; further and higher education mental health supports, to include counselling provision; co-ordination of services and the establishment of links between HSE services and the education system; student engagement and peer supports; teacher training and continuous professional development, including relevant staff in tertiary education; and international experience and best practice.

The committee received almost 50 written submissions from a wide range of stakeholders. This written evidence proved immensely helpful in preparing this report. The committee met with key stakeholders, including parent and management bodies, relevant unions and psychological representative bodies. It also met with other relevant organisations and individuals, including organisations with well-being supports for young people. Most importantly, we heard the voices of young people themselves.

Ms Angelica Foley, Irish Second Level Students Union; Ms Sarah Behan, Union of Students in Ireland; Ms Annie Sheppard, Mr. Darragh Rawson and Ms Molly Hynes, students at Coláiste Bhríde, County Wicklow; Mr. Ryan Sharpe and Ms Tami O'Leary, an alumnus and a student of the Cork Life Centre; and Mr. Hugh Ahern, student at Patrician Academy, County Cork, assisted the committee greatly by sharing their perspectives and experiences.

The committee met with academic staff from the national Anti-Bullying Centre and the Centre for Educational Disadvantage in Dublin City University, DCU. I would like to thank those in DCU for their continued engagement and for once again readily sharing all their experience expertise.

A committee delegation travelled to Dorset in the UK for a study visit organised by the Dorset National Health Service child and adolescent mental health service. The purpose of the visit was to find out about an NHS mental health supports model that is on site in schools.

The findings show clearly that there should be a direct link between the HSE CAMHS, the HSE therapeutic services and primary and post-primary schools. Ideally, these supports need to be on-site in schools. This model is the preferred option to ensure early intervention and prevention. More acute cases will then have a direct pathway into CAMHS.

It is also important that mental health education is provided on-site in schools through workshops, etc., to ensure all students understand mental health issues. This will give all students the tools to cope better with and help friends who may be struggling with their mental health. As public representatives, we have all dealt with different cases of how this might happen.

These proposed measures will go a long way towards reducing stigma and promoting a whole school culture that is empathetic, kind and supportive. The pilot initiative to provide counselling supports by the Minister, Deputy Foley, is very welcome. However, it must be on-site and it must include post-primary schools. It does not make sense to have therapeutic counsellors available to children until they reach post-primary school only, which is a challenging transition period for all children but more so for those who are vulnerable. To deny them these supports as they enter adolescence is neither wise nor cost efficient in terms of future mental health issues.

Arising from this, the committee examined the evidence heard and the submissions received and drew up this report containing concrete and feasible recommendations. The committee genuinely believes that these can be implemented without delay and will have a transformative impact not only on the mental health and well-being of our children, but also for generations of children to come.

I would like now to speak in overview about some of the ten key recommendations contained in our report and about progress on their implementation. The committee believes that a whole-of-government approach to youth mental supports is critical. In this regard, we have been pleased to note the publication by Government in November last year of Young Ireland: the National Policy Framework for Children and Young People 2023-2028. This new framework identifies areas which require action across Government. It includes a focus on child and youth mental health and well-being, which will be underpinned by Ireland’s national mental health policy, Sharing the Vision. We believe that the Department of Education’s pilot counselling supports for the primary schools programme should be significantly expanded. Indeed, and pending review, this initiative should ultimately be rolled out to all primary and post-primary schools.

It has been apparent to us during our consideration of this topic that there is a socio-economic element to mental health outcomes. Children and young people in poverty are at increased risk of mental health disorders. This should influence the continued implementation of this programme. Consideration should be given to increased resource provision for DEIS schools as a preventative measure. An important initial step has been the Department of Education’s announcement in June last year of a €5 million pilot scheme to fund counselling and mental health supports in primary schools in selected counties. We have also been pleased to note the Minister for Education’s recent publication of a tender to procure services to further support well-being and mental health in post-primary schools.

The committee has recommended that school and tertiary education libraries should be designated as places of sanctuary. The evidence we have received on this area has been clear. Libraries have the potential to foster creativity, flexibility and resilience. They are a safe haven and calm spaces where students can have respite and room to develop. The Department of Education has confirmed that library space is now being provided as standard in all new primary and post-primary school buildings, as well as under some school renovation projects. This is a welcome step in the right direction, but much more remains to be done. I know that this is a serious commitment by the Government from some of the conversations I have had at committee with the Minister.

There is also ongoing progress on digital learning and child literacy. This includes the publication last week of a new youth literacy and numeracy strategy for the 2024-33 period. We regret, however, that this new strategy fails entirely to mention the value of school libraries and librarians. I think that this can be revisited and the situation of school libraries and librarians can be very much included in the numeracy strategy.

The report makes it clear that there is a need to ensure sufficient middle management capacity to deal with student issues, both in primary and post-primary settings. The provision in budget 2024 of funding for an additional 500 posts of responsibility at both primary and post-primary level for the 2024-25 school year makes a significant contribution to this objective.

I have already spoken about the committee’s engagement with the NHS and the UK model of providing mental health supports on site in schools. Consideration of providing similar on-site services in Irish schools has been one of our key recommendations. We acknowledge the recent publication by the Minister for Education of a tender to procure services to further support well-being and mental health in post-primary schools. This is with the intention of strengthening the supports and resources available to student support teams in order to enhance the well-being and mental health of young people in the school community, with supports developed for students, parents and school staff. The committee is committed to ensuring that these, and indeed all of the report’s key recommendations, continue to be implemented as expeditiously as possible.

I will end by saying that I am very honoured and proud to stand here today and speak on this issue in Dáil Éireann, our national Parliament, regarding young people and their futures. I acknowledge the great input by all of the committee members to this report. Young people are the generation that will guide and lead this country into what is unarguably an uncertain future. We need to show solidarity with them and give them the supports they very much need and also deserve. Positive well-being should be the goal we strive for here so that all young people can live their best lives. We must ensure that every young person can find a path worth following. They deserve no less. I ask that we collectively work together to ensure that we can strive to give young people every assistance and help they need and deserve.

There is a huge number of post-primary students. One of the biggest issues I found was the transition from primary to post-primary and how some students can really struggle. In the social media age in which we live, a huge number of parents do not allow children to have mobile phones until they leave primary school, while some others could have had a phone for three or four years. This is something that the Government can work on. I welcome the Tánaiste's recent remarks about the issue of abuse on social media. If we do not do something about it now, it will get out of control. We can all see the effects of this on a daily basis. We all have stories of how children feel the effects of social media. A huge amount of this is included in our report. I thank the Ceann Comhairle for the opportunity to discuss this report and having the Minister of State here.

See this speech in context