The Department of Education and Science is expected to announce the appointment of the first 10 "employee assistance officers" in the middle of next month. These officers will be available to work for and with teachers. The posts are part of an initiative to set up an employee-assistance service for teachers at primary and second level.

The officers will be based at education centres in Calbro House, Tuam Road, Galway, the Education Centre, St Patrick's Quay in Cork and All Hallows College, Drumcondra, Dublin. There will be four officers in Dublin and three in both Galway and Cork. Pat King, assistant general secretary of the ASTI, welcomes the news. "It will be of tremendous benefit," he says. "We have been looking for this for years; the problems that teachers might have would be exactly the same as those that might arise for employees in any other company like Aer Lingus or Telecom Eireann - including personal, health, financial and employment problems." Other difficulties that the officers could help address include bereavement and addiction. This type of scheme already exists in many companies in the public and private sectors. It is envisaged that there will be a slow build-up in the use of the service as teachers familiarise themselves with the scheme.

The initial pilot scheme will last for two-and-a-half years, with a monitoring committee meeting at least every three months to review and discuss progress.