Mary Harney
Question:91 Miss Harney asked the Minister for Education the plans, if any, she has to increase the number of education officers available to travelling families.
Written Answers. - Education Officers.
Under the terms of the Programme for Economic and Social Progress, a National Education Officer for Traveller Children was appointed in 1992. This officer has overall national responsibility for promoting and facilitating the education of traveller children. In exercising this role, the officer in question liaises closely with my Department and with the Visiting Teacher Service for Traveller Children. Given the overall national focus of this post, I would not regard it as necessary that further such appointments be made.
Apart from the provision of special classes and special schools for traveller children, the primary mechanism for supporting the needs of such children is the Visiting Teacher Service for Travellers. The function of this service is to provide the extra educational supports which such children require in order to enable them to avail of mainstream education. An additional three visiting teacher posts were appointed to this service in 1992, bringing the total number of such teachers to nine.
I am currently considering the possibility of further expanding the service through the appointment of additional visiting teachers.