Publication
Counselling in Primary Schools-Pilot (CPS-P) 2023-2025
Published on
Last updated on
Published on
Last updated on
The Department of Education plays an important role in supporting the wellbeing and mental health of our children and young people and is currently funding a range of initiatives and supports in this area. In June 2023, the Department of Education launched a €5 million pilot of counselling and wellbeing supports in primary schools in selected counties. The pilot includes two strands and works to support children’s wellbeing and mental health in schools.
Strand 1 is the provision of one-to-one counselling support to a small number of primary school pupils in counties Cavan, Laois, Leitrim, Longford, Mayo, Monaghan, and Tipperary. The National Educational Psychological Service (NEPS) on behalf of the Department has established county panels of pre-approved private counsellors to provide the in-person one-to-one counselling support.
On 23rd October 2024, Minister for Education Norma Foley TD 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.
Strand 2 of the pilot is the establishment of a new type of support to schools from Education Wellbeing Teams and sees the introduction of Education Wellbeing Practitioners to provide enhanced in-school supports for clusters of primary schools in Cork, Carlow, Dublin 7, and Dublin 16.
Strand 2 of the Counselling in Primary Schools Pilot operates in strategic partnership with Cork ETB.
The Education Wellbeing Teams are working with pupils, parents, and school staff to support wellbeing and resilience at a whole school level.