Charlie McConalogue (Donegal North East, Fianna Fail) | Oireachtas source

I thank the witnesses for coming here today and for their presentations made at the launch of the guidelines in Molesworth Street. They are very welcome and overdue. I commend the Department on coming forward with them. What resources does the Department feel will be required to ensure that the objectives set out in the guidelines will be achieved, and to support teachers and other school staff to ensure that we protect our children as well as we can and give them the support they require. The reduction this year in the guidance counselling service, following last year's budget decision to remove the €32 million allocated to guidance counselling hours, requiring schools to use teaching hours instead and draw on the same funding pot, has had a serious impact on ensuring best protection of students' mental health. Guidance counsellors are trained to assist students and without them we would need to develop a support network and similar service to enact the guidelines. It is counter-productive to on the one hand try to introduce guidelines and on the other diminish the capacity of schools to support students as best they can. We must ensure that there is a whole-school approach and all members of staff must be aware of students' needs and play their part. There is, however, a one-to-one service provided by qualified guidance counsellors who have gone through the appropriate training. It is important that whenever somebody is referred and knocks on the guidance counsellor's door there is somebody behind that door. They often deal with crises, which need to be addressed immediately.