Ryan O'Meara (Tipperary North, Fianna Fail)
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117. To ask the Minister for Education and Skills the current status of the counselling in primary schools pilot (CSP-P); if the CSP-P scheme will continue through into the 2025-2026 school year; the plans to develop the CSP-P programme into a nationwide scheme and permanent fixture in primary schools given the high demand and essential service it provides; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [16007/25]

Helen McEntee (Meath East, Fine Gael)
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The Department of Education is committed to supporting the emotional wellbeing of our children. I am delighted to update you on the Counselling in Primary Schools Pilot.

The Counselling in Primary Schools Pilot has two strands and works to support children’s wellbeing and mental health in schools. Strand 1 sees direct counselling supports being provided to primary schools for the first time. My Department set up county panels of pre-approved private counsellors providing one-to-one counselling in primary schools in counties Cavan, Laois, Leitrim, Longford, Mayo, Monaghan and Tipperary. To date, 41 counsellors have been recruited across the seven pilot counties. In total, 1,883 blocks of counselling have been allocated to schools across the pilot counties, which provides an allocation to 1,883 children in these counties.

In the 2023/2024 school year 382 children availed of counselling under the pilot. To date, in the 2024/2025 school year, at least 351 children have availed of counselling.

In October 2024, my Department announced the extension of Strand 1 of the Counselling in Primary Schools Pilot to 61 urban DEIS primary schools in Tallaght, Clondalkin, Finglas, Ballymun and Darndale. The schools that will now be included in the pilot have been identified by the Department of Education as supporting children from areas with some of the highest levels of disadvantage in the State. There are currently 4 counsellors on the panel for these areas.

Strand 2 involves the introduction of Education Wellbeing Teams to provide enhanced in-school supports for a cluster of primary schools in Cork, Carlow, Dublin 7 and Dublin 16. To date, 20 Education Wellbeing Practitioners have been recruited to the four cluster areas. The supports being offered are to pupils, parents, and school staff to support the wellbeing and resilience of the school community.

The pilot is being externally evaluated by the Centre for Effective Services, who were the successful bidder following a competitive tendering process. Through this evaluation we are confident that we will gather valuable learning that will inform future policy and provision in this area.