Niall Collins (Limerick County, Fianna Fail)
Link to this: Individually | In context | Oireachtas source

514. To ask the Minister for Education and Skills if she will consider a school (details supplied) for a pilot programme; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [54209/22]

Norma Foley (Kerry, Fianna Fail)
Link to this: Individually | In context | Oireachtas source

I announced recently that we will invest €5 million in piloting a programme of counselling supports for primary school students. The model for the pilot is currently being developed and more information on how this will be rolled out will be available in the coming weeks.

This programme is in addition to the supports already in place to support the wellbeing and mental health of our young people. Currently the Department’s National Educational Psychological Service (NEPS) provides a school-based, consultative, psychological service – through the provision of an individual casework service for students and a support and development service for school staff. In addition to the work of psychologists in schools, NEPS leads the Department’s response on wellbeing policy in education. This policy is set out in the Department’s Wellbeing Policy Statement and Framework for Practice first published in 2018 and refreshed in 2019. The approach 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

- Providing children and young people with opportunities to experience supportive relationships within the school setting and to learn through those relationships

- Providing children and young people with opportunities to be part of a school environment and culture that feels both physically and psychologically safe, an environment in which children and young people feel a sense of belonging and connectedness, in which they feel their voice is heard, and they feel supported.

Schools are encouraged to use a reflective, school self-evaluation approach to identify and prioritise the needs of its own school community in relation to the promotion of wellbeing and mental health, and to respond to meeting those needs.

Under the policy all schools will have wellbeing at the core of the school ethos and will provide a continuum of evidence-informed approaches and support to promote the wellbeing of all students within the school community, using a reflective, self-evaluation approach. The Professional Development Service for Teachers (PDST) is currently providing training to schools on wellbeing promotion. Schools can register for this training at PDST Online Booking | PDST.

The Department has developed a range of wellbeing resources to support pupils including guidance on Managing Stress and Anxiety, Normalising Thoughts, Feelings and Behaviours. The resources can be accessed at gov.ie - Wellbeing information for school staff – primary (www.gov.ie).