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

The very point is that by removing the resources, the Minister has removed the discretion of schools to ensure that guidance hours are provided. She has removed the resources and particular funding which had been provided in the past to do so. The Minister has left the responsibility with the schools which means that in order to provide the service, they must cut back other teaching services and also subject provision in many cases. However, schools have been unable to maintain the level of services. A survey by the Institute of Guidance Counsellors found an up to 70% reduction in one-to-one time between a guidance counsellor and students which had been provided previously. This is the impact on schools and the Minister should not push the responsibility onto already overstretched school management. The Minister needs to recognise the fact that the removal of resources for funding those posts means a reduction in the service being provided.

It is impossible to provide the service in the absence of these resources. Schools need a commitment from the Minister to allocate funds to reinstate the service, because it is high time there was a recognition that the cut was not one which can be stood over and it needs to be addressed and reversed.

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