Section 9c of the 1998 Education Act specifies that "Students have access to appropriate guidance to assist them in their education and career choices". The Minister’s decision to abolish this post is a cruel blow to students attending our 800 Secondary Schools, and would seem to indicate that these young people are of little importance to the Department of Education.

From next September, schools with 500 pupils will be entitled to twenty-six teachers without being allocated a guidance counsellor. Parents should familiarise themselves with the consequences of this budgetary decision which, in the words of Breda O’Brien, Irish Times correspondent, is a "sneaky and nasty budget cut". Some of these consequences are outlined as follows:

• The school will have to make choices as to what will be prioritised—if a school body wants to maintain guidance counselling, other subjects will have to be dropped.
• Our teachers have a competence in two subjects at secondary level. When the current body of guidance counsellors return to mainstream teaching, some may be teaching subjects that they have not trained for, and indeed that they have not taught for many years. Accordingly, our students will suffer.
• There will be fewer teachers, fewer subject options, and no option at all to provide necessary support and counselling to students who struggle in their personal lives.
• Can the Minister categorically assure us that suicide rates amongst our young people will not increase as a result of the decision to axe the role of the guidance counsellor—a crucial role which can mean a lifeline to distressed, vulnerable young people who are at risk?
• "Making career guidance teachers part of the normal teacher allocation seems most unfair as it not only undermines the work of guidance teachers but highlights the fact that there is no real vision in the Department of Education when it comes to helping and supporting students in schools" Letters page, Irish Times, 14.1.12
• It is especially important for our young people to have expert advice on subject choices during this recession from someone who can identify the requirements of the labour market and thus guide students into suitable college courses.
• The DATS (Differential Aptitude Tests) assess the intellectual, vocational and educational aptitude of our young people under eight headings. One’s strengths and weaknesses can be identified and evaluated with the use of DATS; however, only qualified people such as the school guidance counsellor can administer and interpret these tests. To avail of this service privately will cost parents a figure in the region of €500. Hard-pressed parents, already tax and VAT paying on consumer products should request the Minister to reverse his decision on the axing of our 1,300 guidance counsellors.
• There will be no one-to one meeting between guidance counsellors and pupils.
• The lack of guidance at school will have a detrimental effect on our pupils

The percentage of students who drop out of school during the secondary cycle will increase.