Exclusive: The parent of a child in the midst of a mental health crisis told Norma Foley a phone pouch would not stop their daughter 'cutting herself or trying to kill herself'
A heartbroken parent on “24-hour suicide and self-harm watch” eviscerated Education Minister Norma Foley over her €9 million phone pouch plan and said it would not help their children’s mental health crisis.
One parent sent an email to Ms Foley stating that her teenage daughter was experiencing a “mental health crisis”. She had been brought to an emergency department that week as “she was a high risk to herself”. She was seen by a doctor four hours after arriving and was told she would be seen shortly by a mental health specialist.
They continued: “The €9 million could be used to provide much-needed mental health supports in schools, to train teachers, hire counsellors, anything to prevent our children from reaching the point of severe crisis and needing CAHMS. A teacher who emailed her said the pouches were a “slap in the face to everyone involved in education”.
A secondary school student currently in fifth year told the minister that “what you’re doing is NOT going to solve any issue”. They added: “Not only because nobody will comply, but also because it is not an issue to begin with.”
Fianna Fail Mobile Phones Freedom Of Information Schools Mental Health
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