Noel Rock (Dublin North West, Fine Gael)
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350. To ask the Minister for Education and Skills if counselling services for teens at risk of suicide are provided by the Government, the HSE, and his Department; the percentage of school counsellors that have attended suicide training; the percentage of secondary school teachers that have been trained in suicide prevention; if external suicide services and hotlines are advertised in secondary schools; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [19978/17]

Richard Bruton (Dublin Bay North, Fine Gael)
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Ensuring the mental and emotional wellbeing of students is a major priority of mine as Minister. My Department adopts a holistic and integrated approach to supporting the work of schools in promoting positive mental health and to supporting those with the broad range of problems, behavioural emotional and social. The processes span the curriculum in schools, whole-school ethos, quality of teaching, learning and assessment, student support and pastoral care and the provision of professional development for teachers. It also involves other supports such as educational psychological services and guidance and counselling services, and the interface with other agencies, both nationally and locally. Schools also engage in a wide range of sport and cultural co-curricular activities which provide an important opportunity for students to experience success and personal growth.

Wellbeing   Guidelines for Post-Primary (2013)  and   Primary Schools  (2015) have been developed by my Department in collaboration  with the Department of Health and the Health Service Executive. The guidelines are informed by consultation with key Education and Health partners and by the findings of  research. They provide practical guidance to schools on how they can promote mental health and wellbeing in an integrated school-wide way and they also provide evidence-based advice on how to support young people who may be at risk of suicidal behaviour.

The Guidelines build on the significant work already taking place in schools, including through the Social, Personal and Health Education (SPHE) curriculum, the whole-school guidance plan, the National Educational Psychological Service (NEPS) continuum of support model and the HSE , Health Promoting Schools process. Information is also provided on how to access support from the SPHE Support Service and other external agencies and support services.  In  addition Wellbeing Guidelines to support the introduction in September 2017 of the Junior Cycle Wellbeing Programme have been developed. These include a focus on mental health promotion. Professional development is currently being provided for  schools in anticipation of this.

Training in relation to suicide prevention is provided by the HSE , and various voluntary groups. My department is not, therefore, in a position to provide details on attendance at  suicide prevention training courses.

My Department is liaising with the National Office for Suicide Prevention to introduce a training model for the delivery of the SafeTalk suicide programme through the Education Centre network commencing in the 2017/18 school year.

Noel Rock (Dublin North West, Fine Gael)
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351. To ask the Minister for Education and Skills if schools are advertising outside resources for suicide prevention such as an application (details supplied); and if he will make a statement on the matter. [19980/17]

Richard Bruton (Dublin Bay North, Fine Gael)
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Ensuring the mental and emotional wellbeing of students is a major priority of mine as Minister. My Department adopts a holistic and integrated approach to supporting the work of schools in promoting positive mental health and to supporting those with the broad range of problems, behavioural emotional and social. The processes span the curriculum in schools, whole-school ethos, quality of teaching, learning and assessment, student support and pastoral care and the provision of professional development for teachers. It also involves other supports such as educational psychological services and guidance and counselling services, and the interface with other agencies, both nationally and locally. Schools also engage in a wide range of sport and cultural co-curricular activities which provide an important opportunity for students to experience success and personal growth.

Wellbeing   Guidelines for Post-Primary (2013)  and   Primary Schools  (2015) have been developed by my Department in collaboration  with the Department of Health and the Health Service Executive. The guidelines are informed by consultation with key Education and Health partners and by the findings of  research. They provide practical guidance to schools on how they can promote mental health and wellbeing in an integrated school-wide way and they also provide evidence-based advice on how to support young people who may be at risk of suicidal behaviour.

The Guidelines build on the significant work already taking place in schools, including through the Social, Personal and Health Education (SPHE) curriculum, the whole-school guidance plan, the National Educational Psychological Service (NEPS) continuum of support model and the HSE , Health Promoting Schools process. Information is also provided on how to access support from the SPHE Support Service and other external agencies and support services.  In  addition it is planned to introduce  Wellbeing Guidelines for the Junior Cycle  Programme  in September 2017. This will include a focus on mental health promotion. Professional development is currently being provided for  schools in anticipation of this.

A range of external resources and initiatives  are available to assist schools, among others, in supporting various aspects of a positive mental health process or relating to suicide prevention and crisis intervention such as the example instanced by the Deputy in his question. It is a matter for schools to determine which of these resources they choose to access. My Department's advice is that schools in the first instance should implement the guideline documents effectively and when considering collaborating with external agencies in doing work in the area of mental health promotion, schools should be cognisant of my Department’s Circular 0023/2010 which provides advice on best practice for Social Personal and Health Education.

I trust this clarifies the issue for the Deputy.