John Halligan (Waterford, Independent) | Oireachtas source

Last week, at the national conference of the Institute of Guidance Counsellors, new figures emerged indicating that guidance counsellor hours in second level schools had been cut by 25%. The figures, which were provided by the Minister for Education and Skills, were an upward revision of estimates made previously by guidance counsellors. The Minister failed to address a more revealing statistic, however, showing that cuts introduced last September have resulted in a 51% reduction in counselling services for essential one-to-one work at a time when, according to many school principals, demand for counselling services has reached crisis level.

The Tánaiste will be aware that guidance counselling is critical for second level students as they make important decisions to cope with a broad range of personal difficulties. School is a good place to nip in the bud the distress that may be experienced subsequently at significant social and fiscal cost to the State. The bottom line is that students are suffering as a result of these short-sighted cuts. An astonishing one in ten children is presenting with some form of depression or serious mental health problem.

The Tánaiste is aware that teenagers are especially reluctant to ask for help. For this reason, it matters more than ever that signs are detected early. Many of today's stress related problems were unknown to the older generation because they are linked to modern, fast-paced lifestyles. Body image, cyberbullying and severe peer pressure have all contributed to teenagers being at greater risk of depression, sometimes with disastrous and desperate consequences, including young people taking their life. Last week, I spoke to a school principal in Dublin who has attended two funerals of teenagers who have taken their lives.

Will the Tánaiste give a commitment to ring-fence funding for students? It is bad enough that they are saddled with a huge national debt and will leave school at a time when unemployment is at crisis levels. While I accept that budgets are tight, surely the happiness and well-being of our young people depends on the Government taking action rather than paying lip service to this issue?

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