asked the Minister for Education if all national schools have been inspected by teaching inspectors of her Department at some stage in the last four years; and if there is any case in which no such inspection has occurred, the reason for this.
Written Answers. - National Schools Inspection.
95.
A five year programme of inspections was introduced in the 1982-83 school year. Three thousand two hundred and forty six schools were reported on under this programme. A second programme of inspections began in 1986-87 and 848 schools have been inspected. There are 98 schools (2.9 per cent of the total) on which no school report has been furnished since 1982.
The principal reasons why no reports have been furnished are (1) It is not the practice to report on new schools until they have been in operation for at least three years, (2) Staff vacancies among the inspectorate.