Dáil Éireann Debate, Tuesday - 30 June 2015
511. Deputy Mick Wallace asked the Minister for Education and Skills the number and the percentage of schools in County Wexford that have a full-time guidance counsellor broken down by fee-paying schools and non-fee-paying schools; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [25880/15]
Amharc ar fhreagraUp 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. Some 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 now being 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 information requested by the Deputy on the current position is not available centrally within my Department. The Department helped shelter the impact for DEIS post-primary schools by improving their standard staffing allocations.
