asked the Minister for Education if her attention has been drawn to the fact that St. Oliver's Community College, Drogheda, County Louth, has (a) only one remedial teacher for 900 pupils and (b) one guidance teacher for 900 pupils; that the budget for 1988 will not cover heating, lighting, telephone, insurance, class materials, equipment for art, science, metal work and woodwork for the school; that any redecoration or building of class rooms cannot be done as a high proportion of the parents are unemployed and therefore cannot contribute to the up-keep of the school; if she will give financial assistance to this school; and if she will make a statement on the matter.
Written Answers. - Drogheda (County Louth) School.
228.
The allocation of funds to individual schools in the vocational sector is a matter for the vocational education committee concerned. In allocating resources to vocational education committees this year my Department indicated that essential second level school services, inter alia, were to be accorded priority. I am satisfied that the finances allocated to the Town of Drogheda Vocational Education Committee in its Financial Scheme for 1988 will be sufficient to enable the VEC to cater for the items referred to by the Deputy at an acceptable level.
The implications of the decision to increase the pupil/teacher ratio in the vocational, community and comprehensive schools sector have been under examination by the Central Review Committee established under the Programme for National Recovery. The 1988-89 teaching staff allocations in respect of vocational education committees must await consideration of the outcome of that examination.