asked the Minister for Education if she will outline the examinations undertaken and the criteria used by the psychological service and the inspectorate of her Department in allocating 175 extra teachers between vocational education committees on the basis of disadvantage; the way in which, on that basis, County Meath was allocated only one extra teacher while (i) County Cork was allocated 20 (ii) County Clare, ten (iii) Counties Longford-Westmeath, nine (iv) County Roscommon, 12 and all other countries, with one exception, got more than County Meath.
Written Answers. - Vocational Teacher Allocations.
35.
The extra teaching posts in question were allocated by my Department to those areas where the need to offset the effects of the change in the pupil/teacher ratio was perceived to be most acute. In their examination of the matter the officials of the Department, including psychologists and inspectors, took account of a range of factors including in particular the effect of geographic disadvantage.