Maureen O'Sullivan (Dublin Central, Independent)

I did the guidance and counselling course in University College Dublin in 1991-92. Given the numbers in my own school I combined that role with the teaching of English and history until 2009, when I was elected to Dáil Éireann. I acknowledge the commitment and dedication of those people with whom I did the course in 1991-92 and of the many guidance counsellors I worked with in those 20 years.

I will not speak about statutory and legal requirements. I will speak from my personal experience of what was involved in guidance counselling during those 20 years. For me, and many others, it was divided into two areas. One was the careers area and the other was counselling. In the careers area there was a defined contact with students in their leaving certificate year. It is a difficult but also a wonderful year. As a guidance counsellor one is there and guiding students through the wide range of options available to them: further study through the central applications office, CAO; post-leaving certificate, PLC, courses; repeat leaving certificate; work; apprenticeship; going abroad; or going through the Universities and Colleges Admissions Service, UCAS, system. Being a guidance counsellor means being with the students during that year as they go through the stresses, difficulties, joys and sorrows and being with them when they change their minds, as they do on many occasions, and when the offers and results come in. It means being available to them when they leave school, face other difficulties and want to come back to the guidance counsellor. It is about working with the incoming first year students, fifth years and transition year students on subject choices. It is about using the standardised tests and being with them and guiding them through their CVs, mock interviews and open days.

The guidance and counselling course is a professional qualification to do career guidance work and counselling. When I look back over those 20 years I think of what I did. Some of my work was one-to-one counselling and some was group counselling, depending on the situation. Some was drawing up my own programme or adapting existing programmes. I went through support in relationship difficulties with boy-friends, girl-friends or parents. A common situation was separating parents and the stresses for students from that and when new partners were brought in. The job and money situation at home would come to school with the student. Issues arose around sexuality, teenage pregnancy, bullying, addiction, alcoholism, violence, abuse, eating disorders and self harm. Counselling means being with the students in a very special way during any of those events. It is about being available at all times during the course of the school day, and after that day.

Given that we do not have sufficient referral agencies in this country in many cases the guidance counsellor is the only support available. When there is a particular tragedy the National Educational Psychological Service, NEPS, will come in, but NEPS will go and the guidance counsellor will still be there.

I acknowledge one aspect of the Government amendment, which is that guidance is part of the pastoral care system in a school involving year heads and form teachers. It is retrograde to leave schools without this service and leave the burden of choice on principals. I ask the Minister to look at the substitution and supervision scheme instead, and leave guidance counsellors in place.

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