Jan O'Sullivan (Limerick City, Labour) | Oireachtas source

I am aware of the study referred to by the Deputy. In any discussion about guidance, it is important to note that guidance is a whole school responsibility and does not just involve the guidance counsellor. All teachers and school leaders have a role in the pastoral care of their students, including providing them with regular and ongoing guidance.

All schools are required to provide guidance provision, notwithstanding the budget measure in 2012 which means that it must be managed within a school's standard staffing allocation. This budget measure was introduced as an alternative to a 0.6 adjustment to the standard staffing schedule.

My Department helped shelter the impact for DEIS post-primary schools by improving their standard staffing allocations. That was a very important protection for the cohort of our schools most in need of support. I have repeatedly argued that improvements to the staffing and funding of our schools must be a priority as the economic recovery takes hold. In the last budget, I secured the first increase in education spending over recent years, and I fully intend to continue arguing for increased investment in education in advance of the forthcoming budget.

See this speech in context