Sir, \u2013 I put pen to paper today feeling deeply despondent and disillusioned by the Government\u2019s decision to shelve the counselling in primary schools pilot scheme (2023\u20132026), despite what have been described as overwhelmingly positive outcomes for children who participated in one-to-one counselling.<\/p>\n
The Irish Times article (\u201cCounselling plan for schoolchildren shelved over shortage of mental health professionals,\u201d August 12th) stated that the scheme is being discontinued in favour of \u201cwellbeing practitioners\u201d, with the Department of Education<\/a> citing difficulties in recruiting qualified counsellors. As one of the counsellors who participated in the pilot for three years, and as someone with 20 years\u2019 teaching experience, I find this explanation deeply frustrating.<\/p>\n If the Government genuinely wants to attract and retain qualified counsellors, it must provide conditions that make these positions viable. Unfortunately, this was far from my experience during the pilot. Counsellors were offered little security of employment; payments were, on occasions, not made and were frequently delayed; and emails seeking information or clarification could go unanswered for weeks.<\/p>\n Incredibly, despite working as a counsellor on the programme for three years, I learned that the scheme was being shelved through the article in The Irish Times. This is sadly reflective of the communication and support counsellors received throughout the pilot.<\/p>\n I persevered, not because the working conditions were favourable, but because I firmly believe that every child should have access to appropriate counselling and that schools are ideally placed to provide this service. Having trained counsellors available within schools provides invaluable therapeutic support to children who might otherwise face years on waiting lists. For many families there are few affordable alternatives, while the practical difficulties of arranging appointments and travelling to sessions can make accessing support even more challenging. School-based counselling removes many of these barriers.<\/p>\n