Richard Bruton (Dublin Bay North, Fine Gael) | Oireachtas source

Obviously, the guidance counsellor has to be the person involved in drawing up the guidance plan. We are going to conduct a survey that will identify: the extent to which guidance counselling is being delivered; the extent to which one-to-one services are being delivered; the extent to which other elements are in the guidance plan; and the extent to which the delivery is as we intend it. Bearing in mind the concern, we are conducting a survey to see what exactly is done in schools so that we can be in a position to ensure that what we have amounts to best practice. There is nothing wrong with a science teacher providing some element of career guidance in respect of science choices. There is nothing wrong with the guidance plan having some flexibility around what is delivered. That is why we have had a guidance plan at the heart of the process since 2004. I hear what Deputies are saying. We are conducting the survey to establish exactly where we stand.

The issue of where teachers are allocated at second level was raised. Demographics at second level will represent 450 of the additional teacher places this year, which will come to 1,620. At post-primary level, the vast majority - almost 1,200 - of additional teachers are going to be in areas between middle management, curricular development, the DEIS programme, special educational needs, guidance and so on.

The issue of the 550 posts was raised. We have made provision not only for TUI teachers but ASTI as well. The ASTI proportion of the 550 teachers would probably be the equivalent of 300 or 320 in order to allow those hours to be considered professional time to be worked by teachers preparing for the junior cycle, as Deputy Catherine Martin said. The same is true of salary increases. We have made provision for €140 million to meet the cost of the agreement we have negotiated with the three unions. It makes provisions for ASTI members as well as the others.

I am conscious of the question regarding principals who find themselves stretched. We are trying to rebuild. Between this September and next September we will have restored 420 deputy principals. There will also be 1,000 additional middle management posts, with the relevant premiums attached to represent middle management responsibilities being taken. That work has to continue. In particular, the Deputy raised concerns about principals being stretched. One thing we are doing with the DEIS programme is looking specifically at the transitions to which the Deputy referred. We will be trying to take initiatives to support the transitions that can be problematic in DEIS schools.

Another issue raised relates to whether a teacher could join a union. The general provision is that a person does not leave one union that is in dispute in order to join another. That is an accepted principle within collective bargaining, industrial negotiation, balloting, disputes and so on. The other established principle, as I understand it, is that if a teacher is in an ASTI school, the collective agreement has been negotiated by that union. Therefore, teachers do not get the benefits if the ASTI has not entered into an agreement. Those who are in a school governed by an ASTI agreement do not get the benefit of changes for which they do not have a collective negotiation. It is different for dual-union schools. Those are the constraints relating to membership of unions and people switching and joining other unions. Obviously, a person can apply to join a union at any stage but the convention within the union movement is that if someone is a member of one union that is in dispute, then that person will not be accepted as a member of another union at the time. Obviously, that is a matter for the unions. It is not a matter for the Department, as I understand it.