Mr. Alan Mongey:

It is a concern at second level, particularly as it relates to 15 and 16 year olds who have not been in school and are probably most at risk of dropping out post junior certificate. Schools have worked hard over the months of March, April and May, however. In my instance, our school guidance counsellors were in weekly, and almost daily, contact ringing and speaking to students to try to encourage them to stay engaged and motivated. It was a significant challenge, and ensuring that they return, come September, will be an even greater challenge.

We do this every year. A part of the work that principals and deputy principals do during August is touching base with our schools' most vulnerable students to ensure that they are ready and capable of returning to school. That is why additional assistance is required at that time and we will be seeking help in this regard to ensure that we have the resources and capacity to meet or make contact with all of those students. Schools that have home-school community liaison officers are in a lucky position.

They, however, generally do not start until the very end of August so additional help, support and assistance with regard to staffing will be required during the month of August to ensure we get the most vulnerable students back in. A lot of that, as Mr. Clerkin has said, will come down to building confidence in the system and ensuring people are confident that it is a safe environment for students to return to, that they will be looked after and that it is worthwhile to return to school. A huge amount of time and effort goes into that. I share the Deputy's concerns about those students.

Significant additional staffing is required in schools. Prior to Covid-19, there was a reduction in guidance counsellor provision for post-primary schools. This is an invaluable resource to have within schools. My school has an allocation of approximately 1.6 guidance counsellor posts for more than 1,000 pupils. This allocation is expected to cater for the personal development needs and vocational counselling needs of these students. We allocate additional staffing, however, so at present we have 2.5 people involved in this area. That, however, impacts upon class size. That is why we have increased class sizes at post-primary level. School leaders and schools are aware of the importance of having those resources within schools. When these resources were cut, schools reallocated resources in that regard. Not every school, however, is in a position to do that.