Róisín Shortall (Dublin North West, Social Democrats)
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869. To ask the Minister for Education and Skills if there is funding available for schools from any source, departmental or otherwise, to run well-being programmes for pupils; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [19883/22]

Norma Foley (Kerry, Fianna Fail)
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While funding is not provided directly to schools for wellbeing programmes, the Department commits considerable resources to supporting the wellbeing of all students. My Department is fully committed to ensuring that wellbeing is at the core of the ethos of all schools in Ireland, and that this is done through the implementation of the Wellbeing Policy Statement. The approach proposed in the Wellbeing Policy Statement is a whole school and preventative approach which has multiple components that include providing children and young people with opportunities to:

- build core social and emotional skills and competencies

- experience supportive relationships within the school setting

- be part of a school environment and culture that feels both physically and psychologically safe, in which they feel a sense of belonging and connectedness, that their voice is heard, and they feel supported

Embedded in the whole-school approach is the recognition that members of the school community may have different needs at different times and that a continuum of support in relation to wellbeing should be made available.

Since the wellbeing policy was published, work has taken place to realise the vision set out in the Department’s Wellbeing Policy by the Department’s support services and agencies.  Following an action research project involving thirty schools, the Professional Development Service for Teachers (PDST) has developed Continuing Professional Development (CPD) to support schools as they engage in a wellbeing promotion process. This national rollout of CPD commenced in March 2022 and is available to all schools.

This CPD will be supplemented with a parallel resource for schools developed by the National Educational Psychological Service (NEPS), offering a series of webinars on the promotion of wellbeing and resilience in schools, including on trauma-informed approaches.The approaches outlined in the webinars are based on research findings, on the experience of experts in their fields and on the experience of practising psychologists working in schools. The workshops will be available to build the capability of school staff in both primary and post-primary settings, including for school leaders, teachers and SNAs.  

NEPS provides educational psychological support to all primary and post-primary schools. This involves direct support in the event of a critical incident, access to national and regional support and development work to build school capacity to support students, access to a NEPS psychologist for responses to queries arising, and access to individual pupil casework where there is need via a NEPS psychologist.

The NEPS Support and Development service, reaching an estimated 25,000 teachers annually, is an applied psychological service for school staff to help build their capability to respond to the wellbeing, academic, social and emotional needs of all students, and particularly those who are experiencing barriers to their wellbeing, learning, inclusion and participation. Professional learning activities to support children/young people with social/emotional/mental health difficulties and to promote positive wellbeing in school include the FRIENDSprogrammes. These are evidence-based anxiety prevention and resilience building programmes, which foster self-concept and a sense of school belonging using Cognitive Behavioural Therapeutically-informed approaches. Friends programmes help students to develop resilience by teaching them effective strategies to cope with, problem solve and manage all kinds of emotional distress, including worry, stress, change and anxiety. The Incredible Years Teacher Classroom Management programme is an evidence-based programme that equips teachers to manage their classrooms effectively to prevent and reduce behavioural problems while promoting children’s wellbeing and emotional and social competence.

A dedicated wellbeing portal has been developed and is now available, bringing together all the wellbeing supports and resources that have been developed by the Department and the Department’s support service together and these are available on the gov.ie website.

Active School Flag (ASF) is a Department of Education and Skills initiative supported by Healthy Ireland, and part of the National Physical Activity Plan.

My Department funds the Active School Flag (ASF) and this initiative is also supported by Healthy Ireland. The ASF initiative provides schools with a framework to guide, support and incentivise them to work towards achieving a physically educated and physically active school community.