Ruairi Quinn (Dublin South East, Labour) | Oireachtas source

I recognise what the Deputy has said and I am familiar with the statistics he quoted. When I am - or my successor is - in a position to increase the number of guidance counsellors in a school, I will happily do so. I would not return to the situation where guidance counsellors were outside the quota and could only be deployed for certain purposes by the principal and leadership of a school. They must be part of the total team. If we have more guidance counsellors in the school system, they should be part of the team because offering guidance and counselling is a whole school responsibility, not demarcated around one individual. This has been the finding of successive reports. I accept as a non-professional educationist without qualifications that this is the right way to go. When resources become available, we will increase them for the very good reasons cited by the Deputy, but with regard to returning to the situation as it was, the answer is no.

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