Carol Nolan warns of mental health 'tsunami' facing students
Carol Nolan spoke on 4 February 2021 about the growing mental health impact of COVID-19 on students and the wider population, urging urgent preparation and support. She commended the minister's work, pressed for increased NEPPS resourcing and raised alarm over falling mental health funding.
Parliamentary engagement
Carol Nolan recalled a private members' motion in December that highlighted the pandemic's serious impact on mental health and said she recently submitted a parliamentary question asking the Minister for Education whether the National Educational Psychological Service (NEPPS) is sufficiently resourced and what recruitment plans exist to meet increased psychological distress in schools.
NEPPS staffing update
In reply to that question the minister confirmed NEPPS is providing students with services aimed at managing stress, anxiety and panic attacks. The minister stated the number of sanctioned NEPPS psychologists currently stands at 221, which includes an additional 17 psychological posts to support the wellbeing of school communities.
Concern for students and the Leaving Cert
Carol Nolan said she is worried about Leaving Cert students facing uncertainty and has raised the issue with the Minister for Education in a briefing, urging that certainty be provided to those students as soon as possible.
Mental health funding trends
She warned that the share of health funding allocated to mental health has ranged from 5.7% to 6.3% in recent years, noting it was 6.3% in 2019 but will fall to 5.2% in 2021. Nolan described that fall as alarming and asked that funding allocations be reviewed given the expected rise in demand for supports after the pandemic.
Warning and preparedness
Carol Nolan cautioned that "we have a tsunami coming at us" affecting people of all ages and said the State needs to be prepared for a significant increase in mental health needs in the wake of COVID-19.
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Minister, I want to commend you in all of your work so far, you're doing great work and it's greatly appreciated. Indeed, mental health is an issue that I and my rural colleagues in our private member's motion in December when we noted that COVID-19 was having a huge impact on people. We raised this very issue. We know that mental health is a serious issue in this state without ever looking at any pandemic and the effects that that's having. We've always grappled with getting to grips with mental health. We also know that there needs to be a significant amount of work done to address the mental health fallout for students at primary and second level. I know there's a lot of uncertainty with the Leaving Cert students and I worry for them. I have mentioned it to Minister Norma Foley in a briefing I had and I do hope that some certainty will be given to those students as soon as possible. Last week I submitted a parliamentary question asking the Minister for Education if the National Educational Psychological Service NEPPS is sufficiently resourced and what plans were around recruiting staff to NEPPS to deal with the increase in psychological distress being caused to students as a result of COVID-19 related restrictions. I want to welcome the fact that in her reply the Minister confirms that NEPPS are providing students and services aimed at managing stress and anxiety and panic attacks and that the number of sanctioned NEPPS psychologists currently stands at 221 which includes an additional 17 psychological posts to support the wellbeing of school communities. But I feel there is much more needed here, I really do, I feel that we have a tsunami coming at us and it affects all people of all ages and I do feel we need to be prepared. While progress in this area is welcome Minister, I do find it alarming that the share of health funding being allocated to mental health in recent years has ranged from 5.7% to 6.3% While in 2019 it was 6.3% it will fall dramatically to 5.2% in 2021 and I am just asking for that to be looked at because we have an expected significant rise in demand for supports and services in the wake of this pandemic. I am expressive in the wake of this pandemic. Thank goodness, again.
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