asked the Minister for Education the number of remedial teachers appointed to each district in 1986 and 1987; the reason no remedial teacher was appointed in the district Louth, Leitrim, Cavan and Monaghan in 1987; the reason the recommendation to appoint a remedial teacher for the Bellurgan area, County Louth, with 500 pupils, was not implemented; when this will be done; and if she will make a statement on the matter.
Written Answers - Remedial Teachers.
205.
Thirty additional remedial teaching posts were sanctioned for the entire country in both the 1985-1986 and 1986-1987 school years.
Available remedial teaching posts are allocated in accordance with the priority of educational need of the application. On the basis of this criterion, neither Bellurgan National School nor any school in Counties Louth, Leitrim, Cavan or Monaghan was considered high enough in priority to warrant the appointment of a remedial teacher in 1987. The application referred to by the Deputy will be reconsidered in the light of the availability of such posts in the future.
I should add that over 1,000 schools nationwide have or share the services of remedial teachers including over 70 schools in the poor counties in question. Close to 7 per cent of the national school population is enrolled in these counties.