Mattie McGrath (Tipperary, Independent)
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165. To ask the Minister for Education and Skills the number of times the critical incident policy has been implemented in primary and post-primary schools; the funding provided by his Department for the delivery and implementation of the critical incident policy each year from 2011 to 2016 and to date in 2017; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [2704/17]

Richard Bruton (Dublin Bay North, Fine Gael)
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By way of background I might inform you that this Department’s National Educational Psychological Service (NEPS) provides guidelines and resource materials for schools to enable them to deal with certain traumatic events which can adversely affect pupils and school staff. The guidelines "Responding to Critical Incidents: Guidelines for Schools and resource Materials for Schools" refer to preventive approaches that schools can adopt in creating a safe and supportive environment. It also outlines how schools can plan for crises.

A Critical Incident is defined as an incident, or series of events, that overwhelms the normal coping mechanism of the school. The kinds of critical incidents experienced by schools includes suicide or suspected suicide, death due to violence, accidental death including road traffic accidents and drowning, and death through illness.  The ultimate aim of the process is to return the school to normality.

The Guidelines focus upon alerting schools to planning processes, structures and actions which will better allow them to cope with a traumatic incidents such as suicide or suspected suicide, murder, accidental death including road traffic accidents and drowning, and death through illness of a member or members of the school community. In relation to suicide advice is also given on prevention and positive mental health stratagems and approaches.

They offer a practical step by step guide to schools in how to respond effectively when a critical incident occurs in order to minimise the potential traumatic effect on the school community. It includes templates, advice and information on how to set up a Critical Incident Management Team and develop a Critical Incident Management Plan.

The Guidelines have recently been updated and sent out to schools with new or revised information and advice have been included in the Guidelines, including:

- Revised section on Suicide/suspected suicide including information on suicide prevention and what schools need to do; information on preventing suicide contagion; how to compassionately deal with a suicidal student returning to school after an attempt

- Information on suicide risk and guidance where student expresses suicide ideation

- Teachers helping students in time of crisis listen, protect, connect, model and teach

- Guidance on social media use

- Useful Websites and Helplines for Accessing Resources

- Some additional information, including a comprehensive FAQ guide

During a critical incident NEPS psychologists will also, at the specific invitation of school authorities, attend at the schools following such incidents to offer direct advice and assistance to school staff and pupils.  All such requests are responded to, most usually by the psychologist normally assigned to the affected school but also in some cases, depending on the particular context, by a colleague within the NEPS region and more rarely by colleagues from another NEPS region. The attached sheet gives detail of the number of such requests that were made from 2011/12 to 2015/16.

The critical incident process in schools does not by its nature result from dedicated funding to schools but derives from informing practice of existing staffing in schools and from general non-pay resourcing made available to schools.  Direct costs within my Department relate to the development and production of the guidelines and their distribution to schools, general NEPS psychologist time in assisting/advising schools on their implementation and direct NEPS staff time in assisting schools during critical incidents.

I hope this clarifies the matter for the Deputy.

Critical Incidents