Joe McHugh (Donegal, Fine Gael) | Oireachtas source

I look forward to working with Deputy Thomas Byrne and I refer to his questions around guidance counselling. He raised the issue of responsibility for counselling. This goes back to the collaborative suggestion that the Chairman was making. The responsibility for the provision of mental health services and counselling for young people lies with the Department of Health and the Health Service Executive but we have to reach out, whether that is with Tusla or the HSE. I am happy to work with the Deputy on that and if it means bringing the three committees and the three chairmen together along with the Ministers responsible then we have to drive that collaborative approach and I know that was key in the recommendations.

The measures announced by the Department over the course of budgets 2016, 2017 and 2018 mean that 500 guidance posts, or two thirds of the guidance allocation that was withdrawn in budget 2012 has been restored to schools from September 2018. I thank the Deputy for his own personal contribution to ensuring that this happened. These 500 posts are allocated separately and transparently and outside of the quote on the normal schedule of posts, there is an obligation on schools to ensure that these hours are used for guidance activities. Schools can decide to allocate more hours to guidance than the amount allocated on the schedule. They cannot allocate fewer hours and a guidance plan will outline the school's approach to guidance generally in how students can be supported and assisted in making choices and successful transitions in their personal and social education and in career areas. I am interested in the Deputy's point about how the role changes and on the evolving nature of the challenges that we have.

The Deputy also mentioned NEPS and NEPS psychologists and I referenced that already.

On the code of practice for people and different groups coming in, a new circular was issued in July to update schools on what is appropriate in terms of using external providers and programmes so that can be used as part of a whole school-----