Harkin welcomes expansion of Counselling in Primary Schools panel in Leitrim

Sligo Leitrim TD Marian Harkin has welcomed the announcement by Education Minister Norma Foley that a third counsellor has been appointed to the Counselling in Primary Schools programme in Leitrim. 

Minister Foley was responding to a question in the Dáil by Ms Harkin, who asked why, after nearly one year into the two-year pilot programme, no counsellor is available to schools in the North Leitrim area even though Leitrim is one of the seven counties in the pilot.

"I know of four schools in North Leitrim that are looking for that service," Ms Harkin told the Minister. "There's a lot of advertising of this service on social media and the like and yet, when schools go looking for it, it's not there and parents are contacting schools asking what is happening," she added. 

The Counselling in Primary Schools Programme is a €5m pilot that will supplement the range of mental health and well-being support already available by providing counselling and well-being support to primary schools in Leitrim, Cavan, Laois, Longford, Mayo, Monaghan, and Tipperary. 

Panels of pre-approved private practitioners have been established to provide one-to-one counselling in primary schools in the selected counties.

"I've sent you details of a particular school. Obviously, I don't want its name to be mentioned because of confidentiality, but it is one of the North Leitrim schools that have not been able to access this highly valuable and badly needed programme," Ms Harkin said. 

"The school contacted you in February and in March they submitted what is called the 'Appendix 1' form. They haven't heard back from you and it would be very useful if your department could contact them to let them know what the situation is. Minister, as you know if a principal thinks a child needs this service it is quite a difficult conversation to have with a parent and then if they apply for the service and there's nothing, that is entirely unacceptable," she added.

In reply the Minister said that two counsellors had originally been appointed for Leitrim and, while it has been difficult to recruit in certain areas, she confirmed that on April 11 a third counsellor was added to the panel and is available to work in Leitrim.

"I welcome the fact that another counsellor is now available. However, I know that previously, when a counsellor from the programme was contacted, they said they could not travel the distance of approximately 60 kilometres to provide the service. 

"I hope this won't be the case in the new circumstance and whoever the counsellor is will be able to travel to the various schools in North Leitrim that need this service. Minister, we must remember it is not the schools that need this service, it is the children," Deputy Harkin concluded.