Aideen Hayden (Labour) | Oireachtas source

I welcome the fact that today the Minister of State at the Department of Health, Deputy Kathleen Lynch, and the Minister for Education, Deputy Ruairí Quinn, will launch guidelines for mental health and suicide prevention in post-primary schools. One in ten children and young people in the country experience mental health problems. We are all only too well aware of the spate of suicides we have had in recent times generated by bullying in schools. Post-primary education is when children should have the best and happiest moments they will ever have in their lives, but unfortunately because of the system we have created and generated, it is not the experience our children have. The experience is worsening instead of improving. I do not believe there is a parent of a teenage child in this country who does not live in fear. The incidence of depression among children is significantly increasing as are suicide and bullying. Recently a second level school parent, with whom I had reason to speak, whose child had been accused of bullying told me it is better to be the bully than have one's child bullied. This country has a job to do with regard to education and these guidelines could not come soon enough. I am conscious the Institute of Guidance Counsellors has issued its reservations, and rightly brought to our attention that these guidelines, which will provide for best practice in our schools, need to be resourced.

Schools need to be resourced in order to deal with issues like bullying, depression, mental health and children at risk, particularly children who are sufficiently at risk that their lives are threatened. I ask the Leader to convey to the Ministers that the House is concerned that these measures, while welcome, need to be adequately resourced.