Denis Naughten (Roscommon-South Leitrim, Independent)
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Question 27: To ask the Minister for Education and Skills if he will review the decision to cut the allocation of guidance counselling to schools; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [30969/12]

Ruairi Quinn (Dublin South East, Labour)
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This Government has protected education as much as it can. Far greater reductions in expenditure and in the number of public servants are being made in other sectors relative to those in schools. But there are limits to the level of expenditure on education and the number of teaching posts we can afford. My Department has 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.

At post primary level 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.