Jonathan O'Brien (Cork North Central, Sinn Fein) | Oireachtas source

The changes to the general allocation model for guidance counsellors, making them ex-quota, has entrenched inequality in schools. All of the research indicates that. If one looks at schools within the free education system and those within the fee paying system, there is a clear difference in the amount of guidance counselling being provided. Obviously that is due to the fact that those in the private system are being subsidised by parents.

With regard to DEIS schools, in a later question we will discuss the recent evaluation report on DEIS, but even that report states that the ex-quota allocation for guidance will have serious implications for young people in DEIS schools. Many DEIS schools have previously been in receipt of additional guidance resources through the guidance enhancement initiative but its abolition is likely to lead to even greater difficulties in combining the education, guidance and personal counselling elements of the guidance counsellor, leading to reduced resources. It is quite clear that the proposal introduced in that budget is having a detrimental effect on schools for pupils from lower socio-economic backgrounds. Those students are facing real challenges so this must be reversed.

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