Helen McEntee (Meath East, Fine Gael)

I agree with Deputy Burke that any way in which we can provide support to our students at any age or level should be welcomed. It is my intention to continue the work on strands 1 and 2 in the areas under the pilot scheme, to put this programme in place as quickly as possible and to try to expand it further.

That comes down to measures and what can be achieved in the budget, and this something I will be working on over the coming weeks with our colleague, the Minister, Deputy Chambers. I do see the benefits of it. While, as I said, the evaluation report is still under way and will be completed by September, we are already getting really positive feedback. What we must ask is whether we are rolling out both strands, where there is the direct, one-to-one counselling, or whether it would be better to roll out the broader supports being provided through the well-being practitioners. It is then about ensuring we have the staff to do it. While we have 45 counsellors under the first panel and the strand, to expand this across the whole country would obviously be greatly intensive in terms of just identifying and finding the practitioners to do it. All this must be evaluated and looked at, but it is certainly something I am open to looking at.

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