asked the Minister for Education if she will provide an additional teacher for St. Paul's national school, Lisduggan, County Waterford, in view of particular difficulties being experienced at this school.
Ceisteanna — Questions. Oral Answers. - Lisduggan (Waterford) School.
5.
The staffing arrangements in the school in question in the current year have been determined in accordance with the agreement between the Government and the INTO under the Programme for National Recovery.
An application from the school authorities for an additional teacher on grounds that the schools are serving an area of disadvantage has been considered. However, my Department is not in a position at present to include additional schools in the programme.
Is the Minister aware that Lisduggan together with the adjoining estate, Ballybeg, constitute one of the most deprived urban districts in the whole country? There is a grave social problem in the area. Has the Minister considered that?
The background information furnished to me indicates that there are particular difficulties in the environment in that area. The current enlargement of the schools of disadvantage for staffing purposes has not been allowed for in present circumstances. However, should the circumstances change I can assure the Deputy that the school in question, to which he has addressed his question, will be reviewed in the light of that.
I want to specifically illustrate the point and ask the Minister if she has received a particular letter from the management, which is really a statement from a teacher of one of the sixth classes in the school? In that statement he points out that he has 39 pupils in his class, 13 of whom need pre-remedial or remedial teaching and 12 of whom are continually disobedient and disruptive. How can the Minister expect education to take place in an environment such as that? This area needs particular treatment and I ask the Minister to reconsider her decision.
I accept Deputy Deasy's sincerity in putting his case. The oral submission received by the authorities in question would have been taken into account and, as I said, when the review of staffing levels in schools serving disadvantaged areas is carried out I will bear the Deputy's recommendations in mind.