Thomas Byrne (Meath East, Fianna Fail)
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70. To ask the Minister for Education and Skills the estimated cost of the restoration of 100 guidance counselling posts; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [46241/18]

Joe McHugh (Donegal, Fine Gael)
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The cost of restoring 100 guidance counselling posts is in the region of €5m. This will be considered in the context of future Budgets, however there are needs across the system which have to be balanced in the decisions made in each budget.

Measures announced by my Department as part of Budgets 2016, 2017 and 2018 mean that 500 of the 600 guidance posts that were withdrawn in Budget 2012, are now restored to schools from September 2018.

These 500 posts are allocated separately and transparently on each school's staffing schedule. These posts have been ring-fenced so they can only be used for guidance activities and to meet the guidance needs of the school.