Joan Burton (Dublin West, Labour)
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68. To ask the Minister for Education and Skills if his attention has been drawn to and if he had the opportunity to examine the report, A Whole School Approach to Guidance Counselling in a Voluntary School in the Irish Post Primary Sector, by University of Limerick and DIT; his plans on foot of the report; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [10116/17]

Richard Bruton (Dublin Bay North, Fine Gael)
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My Department has received a copy of the report to which the Deputy refers and it is being considered by my officials. The National Centre for Guidance in Education (NCGE), which advises my Department in relation to guidance policy, has also been requested to provide an analysis of the report. I understand that the NCGE has been in contact with the authors to discuss aspects of the report.

The report is in the form of a case-study of a single, co-educational school in a DEIS area. The report examined how the concept of Whole-School Guidance was implemented in the school since changes to Guidance Counselling provision were announced in 2012. I welcome such research and I am happy to see the collaborative pooling of resources by the University of Limerick and DIT which is instanced in this case.

Under the Action Plan for Education 2017, my Department will commence a review of guidance services, tools and career information for students and adults. The report will provide an important input to this review.

Measures announced in Budget 2016 and 2017 will, between them, effectively restore two-thirds of the number of ex-quota guidance posts that were withdrawn from schools in Budget 2012. In that Budget, schools were required to make provision for guidance from within their general allocation of teachers. I am keen to ensure that in restoring these posts, schools will be required in their guidance plans to include specified time allocations for guidance counsellors to be available for one-to-one guidance counselling for students. I also want to ensure that there will be adequate time allocated for the role of the Guidance Counsellor in supporting the Student Support Team.