Career guidance in special schools
Deputy O'Loughlin highlighted the absence of career guidance provision for special schools in a recent report. The Tánaiste said he would raise the issue with the Minister and then added updated information for Deputy Brady on the Wicklow emergency beds.
I want to raise the recent report of the Department of Education and Skills on the review of career guidance in education. This is something that is very important to everybody on this side of the House because it was part of our confidence and supply negotiations. It is also something we have dealt with at the education committee. I was concerned to read in the report that no provision is included for career guidance in special schools. We have 140 special schools in the country. This came to light through the committee's stakeholder engagement. Quite a bit of lobbying has been done by other agencies to make sure they are included. As we all know, career guidance is incredibly important for all of our young people and the role of the career guidance counsellor is very important. Young people in special schools leave school at the same time as their peers in mainstream schools. They have dreams and aspirations. They are absolutely capable of getting and holding down a job, doing an apprenticeship and studying. The fact we are leaving them out is important. I ask the Tánaiste to speak to the Minister for Education and Skills and the Cabinet to ensure special schools are included for career guidance teaching.
Comment on this
I will raise that with the Minister. I assure Deputy O'Loughlin that anything we agreed to in the confidence and supply arrangements has been followed through on and will continue to be.
With the indulgence of the Ceann Comhairle, I will respond to a question asked earlier because I have helpful information for Deputy Brady who asked a question about 12 homelessness emergency beds in Wicklow. As he knows, those beds were provided under the winter emergency initiative. I am told by the Department and the Minister that there is no problem keeping them open if the decision is made locally by the local authority that it wants to do so and if there is a continuing need for those beds. The money is not the issue and the Department is happy to facilitate keeping those beds open if the need exists. I want to put this on the record.