Charlie McConalogue (Donegal North East, Fianna Fail)
Link to this: Individually | In context | Oireachtas source

To ask the Minister for Education and Skills the number of guidance counsellors employed in schools in County Meath. [5695/13]

Ruairi Quinn (Dublin South East, Labour)
Link to this: Individually | In context | Oireachtas source

The budget measure introduced for the current school year that requires schools to manage the provision of guidance from within their standard staffing allocation, the alternative to which was to make an adjustment to the standard staffing schedule, must be seen in the context of our very difficult budgetary constraints. It is also worth pointing out that, as part of last years budgetary measures, my Department helped shelter the impact for DEIS post-primary schools by improving their standard staffing allocations. My Department also provided some limited short-term support to schools through curricular concessions in order to help them manage within their approved teaching allocation.My Department does not have the information sought by the Deputy. The day to day management of how teaching resources are used in schools is done at local school level. It is established policy that guidance is a whole school activity and under existing arrangements each school develops a school guidance plan as a means of supporting the needs of its students. I am confident schools will act in the best interest of students when determining precisely how to use the teaching resources available to them.