Charlie McConalogue (Donegal North East, Fianna Fail) | Oireachtas source

If the Minister had taken the time to meet with the Institute of Guidance Counsellors, he might have received that feedback in the last week or so. As I pointed out, its survey shows that one-to-one time with students is down by 50%. There is a crisis among our young people at present with mental health issues. It impacts on a small percentage of students but there are far more factors and stressors involved now not only because of the economic situation, but also because of developments in recent years in social media and cyber issues.

I have often heard the Minister make the point that he allocated €500,000 to resource the new plan which he plans to publish later this week. On the other hand, however, the Minister has removed the specific allocation for the 700 qualified guidance counsellors and put it back into the schools' main budget. It is the removal of over €20 million from that particular budget. Indeed, the Minister is taking the people who are best placed to deal with the issues at the coalface in the schools out of the system, and in a way that inhibits their ability to do that work. That is the impact it has had. I ask the Minister to revisit this issue.

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