Éamon Ó Cuív (Galway West, Fianna Fail)

Unfortunately, I have to be selective in the things I want to say.

The Minister is leaving to every school the obligation of complying with section 9(c) of the Education Act 1998. At the moment, the Department has control, because guidance counsellors are ex quota and controlled from the centre. From next year, how will the Department control the situation? How will it guarantee that this fundamental part of the Act is adhered to? Let us be honest about it: there is always a temptation not to defend what are seen as the soft supports, and to cut these in the interests of defending particular subjects or whatever one wants to defend. I predict that over time, in many schools, we will find that guidance counselling is pushed aside and that some extra subject on the curriculum will get the advantage. If the Ministers of State do not think that will happen then they do not know the nature of how human beings act in these situations.

There is a saying, "penny wise and pound foolish". As I said, we have had an enviable record in school completion in recent years.

See this speech in context