Brian Stanley (Laois, Sinn Fein)
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10. To ask the Minister for Health his role in formulating the mental health policy to be implemented in schools; and how he has co-operated with other relevant Departments in this regard to ensure the provision of best practice and adequate funding; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [13716/16]

Helen McEntee (Meath East, Fine Gael)
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I thank Deputy Stanley for putting forward this question with regard to mental health promotion and policy and how it will be implemented in schools. I presume Deputy Louise O'Reilly will respond in his stead.

Back in 2013, the Department of Education and Skills, the HSE, and the Department of Healthjointly developed Well-Being in Post Primary Schools Guidelines for Mental Health Promotion and Suicide Prevention. This was followed in 2015 by the publication of guidelines setting out a framework for mental health promotion in primary schools. Supporting schools to implement the guidelines involves a great number of agencies of the Department of Education and Skills and health promotion officers within the HSE. In addition, the Department of Education and Skills recently revised Responding to Critical Incidents Guidelines and Resource Material.

In 2015, the Government launched Connecting for Life, Ireland's national strategy to reduce suicide. The aim is to reduce suicide and self-harm. We are looking at the figures from 2015 to 2020. The strategy clearly sets out a vision where fewer lives are lost through suicide and, most importantly, in which communities and individuals are empowered and given the ability to improve their own mental health and mental well-being. It provides a community-based organisation with guidelines, protocols and training on effective suicide prevention. It is so important that we equip ourselves with the ability to deal with everyday stresses and everyday life. Most importantly, education is key. It is important that we have a constant and direct link between the Department of Education and Skills, the Department of Children and Youth Affairs and my own Department of Health.

One of the main goals in Connecting for Life is to target approaches to reduce suicidal behaviour and improve mental health among priority groups, most specifically among young people. The best way to reach our young people is through education and within our schools. There are several key actions which have been identified to further this goal. I will not go through them all but they are there. They are part of the overall policy objectives of the Department of Education and Skills. They are supported by my Department and the HSE through the inter-agency implementation arrangements provided for in Connecting for Life and are overseen by the Cabinet committee on social policy and public service reform.

Louise O'Reilly (Dublin Fingal, Sinn Fein)
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It is in the programme for Government that a wellness class will be added to the junior certificate cycle. That is to be welcomed. I share the Minister of State's views on the need to address issues of mental health and, more importantly, mental health well-being at the earliest possible stage. Has this been agreed with the people who will be delivering it, namely, teachers at the front line? If it has been agreed, when are we going to see the first wellness class as part of the junior certificate cycle take place? Has the Minister of State given any thought to the programme run by Pieta House? I think it is called "school resilience". I believe it to be a very good model, particularly with regard to young people. Specifically, we want to know when the first wellness class for a junior cycle student will take place.

Helen McEntee (Meath East, Fine Gael)
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Unfortunately, I cannot give the Deputy a set timeline for that. I spoke to the Minister for Education and Skills only yesterday on this issue. Essentially, what it means is that over a three year period up to the junior certificate, students will have to partake in 400 hours of wellness classes across a variety of different sections.

With regard to school resilience and Pieta House, at the moment Connecting for Life has a strong youth element to it. There is a pathfinder project set out to implement the youth aspect of it. What I will be introducing in the next 100 days on top of that is a youth mental health taskforce that will build on the pathfinder project and specifically focus on education at an early stage. The problem that we face is that many mental health problems manifest themselves much earlier than we feel comfortable talking about. We need to implement some sort of educational programme at a primary school level. There will also be a second dimension to that taskforce which will involve non-political, non-departmental individuals who are currently working and have a keen interest in advancing our services. Programmes, such as the school resilience programme, will be taking from what is best practice, what is out there and how we can best implement it together.

Louise O'Reilly (Dublin Fingal, Sinn Fein)
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It does not sound like much of a priority if the Minister of State cannot even give us a date. It should be a priority and one that is accompanied by identifiable targets, dates, times, etc. We welcome the taskforce on youth mental health. Will the Minister of State give us some insight into the individuals who will be involved? The plan is that it will be established within 100 days. That is very much to be welcomed. We would like to know who is going to be on the taskforce.

To go back to my earlier question on the junior certificate cycle, is there agreement? We all know that there are issues around the junior certificate cycle with the people who are delivering it. Has this been agreed with teachers directly?

Helen McEntee (Meath East, Fine Gael)
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Unfortunately, as this is specifically within the Department of Education and Skills, I cannot give that information to the Deputy. However, I will give her a commitment that I will speak to the Minister of Education and Skills. As far as I am concerned, it is at an advanced stage. We should see it being implemented soon.

With regard to the specific individuals on the taskforce outside of the Department and the political sphere, I cannot give the Deputy the names because I do not have all of the names. They do not know themselves. That is a work in progress. The specific Departments that are going to be working with the taskforce will be the Department of Education and Skills, the Department of Children and Youth Affairs and our own Department. I have spoken to both Ministers in that regard and both of them are very much on board and their staff are willing to work with us on a continuous basis in order that it is a priority. This is something that will be worked on every week with all three Departments.