Fergus O'Dowd (Louth, Fine Gael)
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1273. To ask the Minister for Education and Skills the position regarding guidance counsellors in schools here; the numbers employed for each year since 2012; when the cuts which have been imposed will be reversed; the action she has taken as a direct result of the concerns which have been expressed to her by teachers and parents regarding mental health issues for students who cannot avail of this service; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [31301/15]

Tommy Broughan (Dublin North East, Independent)
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1296. To ask the Minister for Education and Skills the number of dedicated one-to-one guidance counsellors nationally in 2012, 2013, 2014 and to date in 2015; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [31537/15]

Jan O'Sullivan (Limerick City, Labour)
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I propose to take Questions Nos. 1273 and 1296 together.

Up until September 2012, an ex-quota allocation was provided for guidance in addition to the standard teacher allocation to post primary schools. This resource was allocated in accordance with pupil enrolment. 42% of second-level schools at the time were allocated at least 22 hours per week in respect of guidance (22 hours being the equivalent of one teaching post) while the remainder of the schools were allocated between 8 and 17 hours of guidance per week.

Since September 2012 at post primary level guidance provision is organised by school management from within the staffing schedule allocation. Guidance is a whole school activity and schools have autonomy on how best to prioritise their available resources to meet the requirements in relation to guidance and the provision of an appropriate range of subjects to students. This operates at local school level and therefore the detailed information requested by the Deputies is not available centrally within my Department.

The net reduction in guidance provision as a consequence of this budget measure was of the order of 500 posts. The annual budget saving from this measure is over €30 million. This gives an indication of the cost involved if this budget measure was not in place. The Department helped shelter the impact for DEIS post-primary schools by improving their standard staffing allocations.

The representative organisations for School Principals and school management developed a framework that assists schools on how best to manage the provision of guidance from within their staffing allocation. This approach puts a greater emphasis on group-work and class-based activity at senior cycle and maximises the amount of time available for those pupils that need one to one support.

There are also a range of other supports available to promote and support the wellbeing of students. NEPS psychologists are available to offer their advice and support to schools in establishing and developing School Support Teams. The extension of the NEPS service to all mainstream schools since September 2013 also puts it in a good position to provide advice to the Teams in regard to students with particular difficulties and on onward referral or liaison with other community based services that also have a role in providing service to schools. Student Support Teams in Post-Primary Schools (DES 2014) is a NEPS booklet to promote the well-being of pupils in post-primary schools.

Wellbeing Guidelines for Post-Primary and for Primary Schools have been produced by my Department in conjunction with the Department of Health and the Health Service Executive. The guidelines are informed by consultation with key Education and Health partners and by the findings of current research. They provide practical guidance to schools on how they can promote mental health and well-being in an integrated school-wide way and they also provide evidence-based advice on how to support young people who may be at risk of suicidal behaviour.

The Guidelines build on the significant work already taking place in schools, including through the Social, Personal and Health Education (SPHE) curriculum, the whole-school guidance plan, the National Educational Psychological Service (NEPS) continuum of support model and the HSE, Health Promoting Schools Process. Information is also provided on how to access support from the SPHE Support Service and other external agencies and support services.

It should also be noted that the proposals on the reform of the junior cycle envisage a new subject on "wellbeing" being studied by all pupils.

I have no plans to return to a situation where there would be a separate allocation for guidance in schools. If economic recovery continues I hope the Government will be in a position to improve the standard staffing allocation to schools. However, I believe that it is desirable to give schools discretion on how to use those increased resources.

Enhancing supports for schools, including guidance, are among a number of issues raised in discussion with me as priorities within the school sector. The last Budget included an increase in spending on education for the first time in recent years, amounting to additional funding of €60 million during 2015.

I am determined that education should be prioritised for investment as our economy recovers and I will be seeking to agree a set of priorities for such increased investment into the future.