Ciarán Cannon (Galway East, Fine Gael)

This contrasts with how the last Fianna Fáil Government reduced staffing for second level schools across the board and without protecting DEIS schools. Their more favourable student-teacher ratio will put them in a better position to manage the changes in guidance provision within their standard staffing allocations.

A disturbing feature of the comments made in the media and this Chamber is the assumption that school principals will not be capable or confident enough to operate this change. Claims that school principals and management will totally abandon guidance provision prejudge decisions yet to be taken by them in addressing the staffing position for next September.

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