Sorca Clarke (Longford-Westmeath, Sinn Fein)
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65. To ask the Minister for Education and Skills the supports and or supervision that are available for teachers who are dealing with trauma and traumatised students on a regular basis. [58416/22]

Norma Foley (Kerry, Fianna Fail)
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My Department’s Wellbeing Policy and Framework for practice has given recognition to the importance of promoting wellbeing in education. The approach set out in the Wellbeing Policy is a whole school and preventative approach. The Wellbeing Policy contains a number of high level actions including an action to promote the wellbeing of school staff. The policy recognises the importance of the relationships between all members of the school community and ongoing professional development of teachers.

My Department offers an Employee Assistance Service (EAS) for all school staff in recognised primary and post primary schools. This free service includes a wide range of supports including a confidential 24/7 helpline, short-term counselling, a wellbeing portal and webinars. It also provides advice and support to managers to help them deal with health and wellbeing issues in the workplace. The total annual utilization rate for Employee Assistance Service 2021 is 3.4%, which represents 3,293 school employees engaging with this free service.

The Professional Development Service for Teachers (PDST) also provide training for teachers to support wellbeing. Supports are also available for school leaders which includes helping school leaders to prioritise and structure their considerations and actions and promoting sustainable and crisis management approaches to leadership. The training includes specific references to self-care. Modules such as time management, dealing with conflict, understanding school culture and specific inputs on wellbeing are included in all of these programmes. The PDST online portal for school leaders provides frameworks and templates for Leading school Wellbeing and Supporting themselves and staff .

A key wellbeing objective of all current PDST leadership supports is to reduce isolation and to provide assuring professional networks. Facilitating further connectivity has been provided through the setting up of local networking groups for leaders. The Centre for School Leadership (CSL) provides mentoring for newly appointed Principals and bespoke mentoring for Principals experiencing professional challenge. CSL mentoring is a vital source of support and covers wellbeing aspects.

The National Educational Psychological Service (NEPS) are the frontline responders on behalf of the Department of Education who support schools in the aftermath of a critical incident. Given the unexpected nature of critical incidents, NEPS has produced guidelines and resource materials for schools to enable them to prepare for and respond to traumatic events which can adversely affect pupils and school staff. The publication "Responding to Critical Incidents: NEPS Guidelines and Resource Materials for Schools’outlines how schools can plan for crises.

The publication provides practical step-by-step guidelines for teachers and principals on how to respond when a tragedy occurs and helps schools to be as prepared as possible for a potentially overwhelming tragic event.

Training in critical incident planning is part of the service provided by NEPS to schools. In order to increase the reach of critical incident training to all schools, NEPS has developed an eLearning course ‘Responding to Critical Incidents in Schools – eLearning Course’ to accompany "Responding to Critical Incidents: NEPS Guidelines and Resource Materials for Schools’.

Individual casework service by NEPS involves a high level of psychologist collaboration with teachers and parents, often also working directly with the child/young person. NEPS may become involved with supporting individual students where the school’s SET team or Student Support Team (in post-primary) feels that the involvement of the psychologist is needed. Through this work NEPS psychologists consult with staff who are supporting children who have experienced trauma and also advise in relation to appropriate therapeutic interventions to be delivered in the school setting.

NEPS has also developed training for school staff on the promotion of wellbeing and resilience in schools which includes upskilling school staff on the use and implementation of therapeutically-informed approaches in schools. These include trauma-informed approaches, approaches based on the principles of cognitive behaviour therapy, and attachment-aware approaches.

NEPS has led on the overall approach to supporting the wellbeing of children and young people from Ukraine enrolling in schools in Ireland, taking a psychosocial approach, in line with international research and best practice. A psychosocial approach means that children/young people and their families need to be given time to adapt and adjust to their new environment, new home, new school, and to be given access to practical supports, clear information and assistance to settle in and make friends. The Hobfoll Principles are key evidence-based principles known to help people regain a sense of normalcy and wellbeing in the aftermath of emergencies/traumatic events.

NEPS has developed a number of resources to support the wellbeing of children and young people from Ukraine including.

- Supporting the Wellbeing of Children from Ukraine in your School

- Supporting Children and Young People in a time of War

- Guidance for Parents and Carers from Ukraine on Supporting the Wellbeing of their Children

- The response to stress: a guide for post-primary staff

- Normalising thoughts, feelings and behaviours: a guide for post-primary staff

- Managing stress and anxiety: a guide for post-primary staff

- Look, Listen & Link - A model of Psychological First Aid (PFA) to help teachers support students

NEPS in collaboration with Education Support Centres Ireland (ESCI) delivered Primary and Post primary webinars on Welcoming Children to Our Schools.

NEPS works closely with the HSE and its agencies to ensure those who may require the provision of therapy or counselling are referred on to the appropriate clinical services for intervention and support.

Michael Lowry (Tipperary, Independent)
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68. To ask the Minister for Education and Skills if gambling awareness workshops have been rolled-out in secondary schools in County Tipperary; if she will ensure that no gambling industry-funded literature is used in schools to educate school-aged children regarding the dangers of gambling; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [58410/22]

Norma Foley (Kerry, Fianna Fail)
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It would not be appropriate that resources or materials produced or funded by the gambling industry, for education and awareness on gambling, are in use in our schools.

There are protocols in place to ensure that strict criteria are observed by schools when inviting external agencies to address students about particular issues. The Department provides clear guidance to schools on the engagement of outside speakers and on the use of external resources to assist in delivering the curriculum. These guidelines are most recently outlined in updated circular 0042/2018 for primary schools and 0043/2018 for post primary schools. Programmes delivered by visitors or external agencies must use appropriate evidence-based methodologies with clear educational outcomes.

These circulars also require that all materials proposed for use by external providers must be approved in advance by the principal and Board of Management, be age and stage appropriate for pupils and be in line with the ethos of the school, and the principles of the Social Personal and Health Education (SPHE) curriculum. This applies both to resources such as literature, and to workshops that may be held in schools.

Schools have a role to play in supporting their students to develop the key skills and knowledge to enable them to make informed choices when faced with a range of difficult issues, including drugs, alcohol and gambling.

This is mainly done through the SPHE programme. SPHE is currently mandatory in all primary schools and in Junior Cycle where it is part of the Wellbeing area. Schools are also encouraged to deliver the SPHE programme in senior cycle.

The Deputy may also wish to note that the National Council for Curriculum and Assessment (NCCA) is currently redeveloping and updating the SPHE curriculum across Primary, Junior Cycle and Senior Cycle. A draft revised Junior Cycle specification was published by the NCCA for consultation in July. It is expected that the NCCA will finalise the Junior Cycle specification by the end of the year with the aim of implementing it in schools in September 2023. These curriculums are expected to address the issue of addictive behaviours, such as gambling.

For example, the draft updated Junior Cycle specification addresses the issue of addictive behaviour in Strand 2: Making Healthy Choices. The learning outcomes of this strand include analysing the supports and challenges for young people when it comes to healthy choices about addictive behaviours, as well as discussing how they may be overcome in real-life situations.

In relation to Senior Cycle, preparation to update the SPHE specification has commenced. The NCCA intends that the Senior Cycle draft specification will be available for public consultation by next summer, with a view to being ready for implementation in schools in September 2024. Following publication of the new Primary Curriculum Framework, expected in early 2023, the NCCA will establish a development group for the curricular area of Wellbeing in primary schools.

I have recently announced my Department's provision of a new postgraduate programme to upskill registered post-primary teachers teaching SPHE/RSE.

This programme, funded by the Department of Education and provided by Dublin City University (DCU) Institute of Education, will provide a pathway for progression for post-primary teachers interested in developing their skills in teaching SPHE/RSE. In so doing, this programme will build capacity and leadership within the teaching profession in relation to teaching in this important area.

Schools and teachers will be supported to access the upskilling programme and course fees will be covered by Department funding and facilitation of substitute cover to allow participating students to undertake the programme.

Just last week, Government approved publication of the Gambling Regulation Bill, whichsets out the framework for a modern, robust regulatory and licensing regime for the gambling sector.

A particular focus of this legislation is the prevention of harm to people vulnerable to problem gambling, children and young people.

Given the constantly changing and technology-based nature of the gambling industry, our children and teenagers are more exposed than ever to a wide range of gambling advertising. Proper regulation of this area is important to minimise potential harm to children and young people and that is what this legislation aims to provide.