477. Deputy Jen Cummins asked the Minister for Education and Youth if her Department has a representative on the cross-departmental working group on young carers; if so, whether the working group has yet met; and, if not, the expected timeframe for such a meeting. [64224/26]

I am not aware of the group that the Deputy refers to, however, I am happy to outline some of the measures employed by my department to support the wellbeing of young people including those facing challenging circumstances.

The area of wellbeing and the promotion of positive mental health is one to which the department affords particular priority. In this regard, the department is committed to responding to the challenges our young people face today and their need for education in the area of wellbeing and stress. Wellbeing is central to our education system and underpins every child’s ability to reach their full potential. Our overall approach is whole-school and preventative, empowering schools to identify and respond to their own wellbeing needs.

This approach to supporting wellbeing was first set out in the department’s Wellbeing Policy Statement & Framework for Practice (2019-2025). The department has now initiated a Wellbeing Policy Review and a broad stakeholder engagement process to consult on a successor to the current Wellbeing Policy. It is expected that the revised policy will be launched in 2027.

A Wellbeing in Education platform on gov.ie brings together resources for school staff, students and parents to support wellbeing and resilience. This platform provides links to an extensive range of resources available to schools from the department’s support services and agencies and the HSE and the Department of Health. Information and resources for school staff, students and parents are available on gov.ie.

The department’s educational psychology service, NEPS, provides wellbeing support to all schools through its child/young person Casework Service and its Support & Development Service for school staff.

At post-primary level students have access to counselling which is a key part of the role of the guidance counsellor, offered on an individual or group basis as part of a developmental learning process, at moments of personal crisis but also at key transition points.

Also at post primary a Student Support Team is a student-focused mechanism put in place by a school in order to co-ordinate the support available for students in the school and to facilitate links to the community and other non-school support services.

Neart (the Irish word for strength) is the national programme of mental health and wellbeing resources and training for post-primary schools that is delivered by Jigsaw in partnership with NEPS. The programme provides supports to students, parents and school staff. Supports for students include learning opportunities that promote mental health and wellbeing. The Neart webpage, jigsaw.ie/neart/, provides all the relevant information about the programme of supports and what’s on offer throughout the 2026/27 school year.

Addressing educational disadvantage in all schools also remains a key priority for me as Minister of Education and Youth.

The DEIS programme provides a range of targeted supports to schools including the Home School Community Liaison scheme (HSCL) and the School Completion Programme (SCP).

The HSCL scheme is a core element of the DEIS programme and forms part of the wider Tusla Education Support Service (TESS). HSCL coordinators are teachers assigned to work directly with parents, guardians, school staff and community services to strengthen engagement between home, school and community. The overarching aim of HSCL is to improve attendance, participation and retention, particularly for children and young people experiencing educational disadvantage. The SCP plays a critical role in supporting all children and young people of school going age to stay in school for longer and to address absenteeism.

Together, the HSCL scheme and the SCP support all children and young people to participate and stay in school.

As part of the DEIS programme, schools are required to engage in ongoing planning processes based on identified targets across DEIS themes and integrate with the SSE process. These plans are informed by all children and young people in the school and are developed through an inclusive, reflective and collaborative whole school approach.

The DEIS Strategy to 2035, its first Implementation plan 2026-2028 and the DEIS Plus scheme were launched earlier this year. The strategy sets out the departments long term vision to address educational disadvantage in all schools to ensure that every child and young person experiencing disadvantage is supported to succeed in their education journey, regardless of their background.

The strategy acknowledges that students at risk of educational disadvantage are present in all schools. It therefore focuses on improving outcomes, encouraging innovation, and ensuring schools can access the right supports when needed. The DEIS Strategy to 2035 sets out actions under the strategic objective 2.2, to develop an agile resource allocation model to support all children and young people at risk of educational disadvantage in all primary and post-primary schools. These actions focus on the continued enhancement of the data available to measure school level disadvantage and for the development of a more flexible resource allocation model that can react to change in school needs and provide the right resources at the right time.

In relation to youth services, the department is dedicated to enhancing the delivery and development of youth work services and opportunities for young people across the country.

Administered by the ETBs nationwide, the UBU Your Place Your Space (UBU) scheme is the department’s largest funded youth scheme, targeting young people aged between 10 and 24 years old who are identified as marginalised, vulnerable and at risk of not flourishing.

Young people experiencing marginalisation whose specific circumstances limit their opportunities, including young carers, is one of the target groups of the UBU scheme.

UBU delivers evidence-informed interventions that promote soft skills, confidence, and progression into education, training, or employment, and provides the foundation for local youth organisations to deliver tailored supports that meet the needs of their communities.

Over €54 million has been allocated to UBU in 2026, which provides funding to 258 targeted youth services.