Primary school principals say they are increasingly concerned about their pupils' mental health.

Taoiseach Enda Kenny is due to address the Irish Primary Principals Network conference on emotional well-being this afternoon.

The organisation said that despite their students' young age, they are coming across deeply worrying situations on a daily basis in schools.

IPPN president Maria Doyle outlined the kind of issues teachers are dealing with.

"We have children as young as junior and senior infants displaying significant symptoms of depression," she said.

"We have children in primary schools speaking about suicide, we have them self-harming.

"Now this would not have been the case 10, 15 years ago, but it currently becoming a problem at primary level."