Brendan Smith (Cavan-Monaghan, Fianna Fail)

I appreciate the presence of the Minister to reply to this important question. Following budget 2012, guidance provision at second level will be managed by schools from within their standard teacher allocation from next year. We believe this decision will not only lead to the end of the guidance counselling profession but its effect will be felt most by vulnerable and disadvantaged students. The Government decision to include guidance provision within the standard teacher allocation is an effective increase in the pupil-teacher ratio at second level. Next year, second level schools will be faced with the choice to either let go of up to 1,000 guidance counsellors in 700 schools or to let go other teachers such as science and language teachers leading to reduced subject choice. However, apart from the impact on the pupil-teacher ratio and on subject choice, we are hugely concerned that this decision will result in the obliteration of the guidance counselling profession and about the severe social impact of this decision on young vulnerable students, particularly those with mental health problems.

Through parliamentary questions, I asked the Minister if his Department's guidelines relating to the entitlement to appropriate guidance at second level still remains in force. Under current legislation, students are entitled to appropriate guidance under section 9(c) of the Education Act 1998. Is this still in force? Will the Minister ensure all second level students continue to have access to career guidance and counselling services at some level? For example, will schools be required to provide a certain level of provision? Will these services be provided by fully qualified guidance counsellors only? Does he still believe only qualified guidance counsellors should provide counselling services to students?

These are fair and reasonable questions that the Minister needs to urgently answer. Instead, the Minister's reply to these questions this week avoided addressing any of these issues. He said, "Schools must meet their guidance requirements from within the overall resources provided by the normal staffing schedule." This would indicate that there is still a requirement to keep guidance counsellors in place. However, he contradicted that assertion when he went on to say, "Individually schools can continue to make provision for guidance and counselling. Decisions on how this will be done will be taken at school level in the best interests of students and to ensure the best use of resources available." What are the guidance requirements the schools must meet?

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