Donnchadh Ó Laoghaire (Cork South Central, Sinn Fein)
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413. To ask the Minister for Education and Skills the amount currently spent per annum on guidance counselling provision and the number of guidance counsellors that are hired with this figure. [27918/22]

Donnchadh Ó Laoghaire (Cork South Central, Sinn Fein)
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414. To ask the Minister for Education and Skills the estimated first year and full-year of increasing the guidance counselling provision in schools by 1%. [27919/22]

Norma Foley (Kerry, Fianna Fail)
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I propose to take Questions Nos. 413 and 414 together.

Teacher allocations to all second level schools are approved annually by my Department in accordance with established rules based on recognised pupil enrolment. The criteria for the allocation of posts (including Guidance Counselling) are communicated to school managements annually and are available on the Department website.

My Department has committed considerable resources towards the restoration of guidance counselling hours to post-primary schools, to the provision of CPD for guidance counsellors and to the provision of a national guidance counselling supervision service for post-primary guidance counsellors in recent times.

The guidance allocation is provided 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. 

As part of the COVID-19 operational supports to schools for the 2021/22 school year, approximately 120 posts were provided for guidance to support student wellbeing. Budget 2022 implemented this change as a permanent adjustment to the allocation of Guidance to schools. These posts bring guidance provision in schools back to the level last seen before the financial crisis in 2012.

For the 2022/23 school year there are 885 Guidance Counselling posts allocated to our second-level schools at an expenditure of almost €60 million per annum.  The average cost of a post primary teacher is currently €67,600.