Charlie McConalogue
Question:334. Deputy Charlie McConalogue asked the Minister for Education and Skills the number of guidance counsellors employed in schools in County Meath. [5695/13]
View answerTuesday, 5 February 2013
Questions (334)
Written answers
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 year's 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. The Government has protected frontline services in schools to the greatest extent possible in the budget and there will no reduction in teacher numbers in primary schools and in free second level schools for the 2013/14 school year as a result of the budget.