Ciarán Cannon (Galway East, Fine Gael) | Oireachtas source

The Deputy is diminishing the role of teachers. Many teachers, particularly in post-primary schools, may not be described as qualified guidance counsellors, but they have a deep knowledge of the options available to young people in choosing their third level path. As resources improve, it will be fully within the power of school principals and boards of management to make a decision to make a unique guidance counselling service available, but that decision will be taken by schools as they see fit in the best interests of their students. I do not suggest a diminished guidance service will be available to young people in the future. It will be enhanced and delivered across the school system and if schools choose to provide a unique guidance counselling service, they will have the autonomy and independence to make that decision.

See this speech in context