Mick Wallace (Wexford, Independent)
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Question 31: To ask the Minister for Education and Skills if he will look at the case of a school (details supplied) in County Wexford and its loss of guidance counsellors and reverse the decision; if he will consider re-examining the new policy in relation to this school in view of its extenuating circumstances; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [10286/12]

Seán Fleming (Laois-Offaly, Fianna Fail)
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Question 39: To ask the Minister for Education and Skills his views that schools will have difficulties supporting students with mental health problems or others in need of specific counselling following his decision to remove the ex quota allocation for guidance counselling; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [10199/12]

Mick Wallace (Wexford, Independent)
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Question 44: To ask the Minister for Education and Skills if he will re-examine the decision to remove guidance counsellors from a school (details supplied) in County Wexford; his views that the school is dependent on the services of guidance counsellors because of the number of students in the school and the social make up of same; his further views that it is almost impossible for a school with large numbers to drop other subjects to facilitate keeping guidance counselling hours; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [10287/12]

Ruairi Quinn (Dublin South East, Labour)
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I propose to take Questions Nos. 31, 39 and 44 together.

My Department has just recently published Circular 0009/2012 to inform all post primary school management and staff of the staffing arrangements for post-primary schools for the 2012/13 school year, including in particular, the requirements to manage guidance from within the standard allocation. The circular is available on the Department website.

Schools will have autonomy on how best to prioritise its available resources to meet its requirements in relation to guidance and the provision of an appropriate range of subjects to its students. Decisions on how this is done will be taken at school level and I am confident that schools will act in the best interest of students when determining precisely how to use the teaching resources available to them.