Noel Harrington (Cork South West, Fine Gael)
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Question 190: To ask the Minister for Education and Skills if he has examined the role that guidance teachers and councillors employed in schools in providing assistance to pupils regarding their personal health and mental health issues; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [8181/12]

Joe McHugh (Donegal North East, Fine Gael)
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Question 239: To ask the Minister for Education and Skills his views on the context of section 9 of the Education Act on giving secondary school principals discretion about the employment of school counsellors; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [8032/12]

Noel Harrington (Cork South West, Fine Gael)
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Question 243: To ask the Minister for Education and Skills if he will initiate discussions with the Department of Health and the Department of Children and Youth Affairs to review the role of school guidance teachers and councillors in their role in providing assistance and advice to pupils regarding their personal health and mental health issues; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [8175/12]

Ruairi Quinn (Dublin South East, Labour)
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I propose to take Questions Nos. 190, 239 and 243 together.

All schools must continue to provide guidance to their pupils. However, from September 2012 guidance provision will be managed by schools from within their standard staffing allocation. As things currently stand and before any changes are made, 42% of second level schools do not presently have a full-time guidance counsellor.

Schools will have autonomy on how best to prioritise its available resources to meet its requirements in relation to guidance and the provision of an appropriate range of subjects to its students. Decisions on how this is done will be taken at school level and I am confident that schools will act in the best interest of students when determining precisely how to use the teaching resources available to them.

Guidance is a whole school activity and under existing arrangements each school is expected to develop a school guidance plan as a means of supporting the needs of its students. These requirements have not changed and my Department's forthcoming circular will make this clear and point schools to the relevant documentation and guidance available to support such work by schools.

My Department will be issuing a circular to schools in the coming weeks for the 2012/13 school year.