Review published as new figures show almost 5,000 children on CAMHS waiting lists across Ireland
A pilot programme providing counselling to primary school children have made a significant difference to the wellbeing of pupils, families and their wider communities, a service evaluation has found.
The Counselling in Primary Schools Pilot was launched in 2023 by the Department of Education and Youth in response to increasing wellbeing and mental health needs among children.
The programme, led by the National Educational Psychological Service (NEPS), involves one-to-one counselling for children with mild to moderate mental health needs in seven counties: Cavan, Laois, Leitrim, Longford, Mayo, Monaghan and Tipperary.
Education Wellbeing Practitioners (EWPs), also provide a school-based support service in 77 schools across Cork, Carlow, Dublin 7 and Dublin 16.
The evaluation, conducted by the Centre for Effective Services (CES), found that the services were positively received by pupils, parents, school leaders and staff.
Pupils said they felt heard and valued, and the service reached many children who would otherwise have struggled to access appropriate support.
Pupils described the effect of the wellbeing sessions with the EWP saying: “It pushes everything bad out of your head, and you focus on more.” Another added: “It makes me feel better because it’s helped me calm down.”
The evaluation found that one-to-one counselling provided valuable, targeted support for individual children. However, the scalability of this component was limited by challenges in securing qualified and accredited counsellors, as well as ensuring appropriate referrals for the short-term counselling.
In contrast, providing schools with access to Education Wellbeing Practitioners demonstrated particular strengths in reaching a wider range of pupils, parents and school staff.
The programme has since been expanded, with counselling supports having been expanded to 61 urban DEIS primary schools in Dublin South-West and Dublin North in October 2024.
The development comes as new figures show that 4,881 young patients were on a waiting list for children and adolescents mental health services (CAMHS) at the end of June.
The data provided to Sinn Féin TD Sorca Clarke in response to a parliamentary question, show that 643 young people have been waiting more than one year for a CAMHS appointment, while a further 446 have been waiting between nine and 12 months.
“Since this government took office in January 2025, the number of young people waiting for a CAMHS appointment has increased by 16.2 per cent,” said Ms Clarke.
“Instead of reducing waiting lists, the Government has allowed the number of children waiting for vital mental health support to continue to increase. Around 75 per cent of all mental health difficulties emerge before the age of 25, making timely intervention critical.
“What is particularly worrying is the regional variation. In Cork South and West, 208 young people have been waiting over 12 months, while 165 young people in Louth and Meath face the same unacceptable delay.
“We cannot continue to normalise children waiting months or even years for specialist mental health care. Early intervention is crucial, and delays can allow difficulties to escalate and place additional pressure on families, schools, GPs and other services.”
See also ‘Why the National Mental Health Experience Survey matters’.