Vol. 454 No. 1
43 Mr. E. Byrne asked the Minister for Education the number of children designated as having learning difficulties in the Dublin area in the most recent years for which figures are available; the number of remedial teachers employed in the Dublin area in the same year; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [10264/95]
I regret that my Department does not have precise details of the number of children in the Dublin area who have learning difficulties.
The majority of pupils with minor learning difficulties are capable of being helped through the normal teaching service and details of such children are not held in my Department. Where more significant learning difficulties arise, the main additional resource provided is the remedial teacher service.
The number of remedial teachers serving primary schools in the Dublin area for the school year 1994-95 is 360. These teachers provide a remedial service to 378 schools, or 93 per cent of primary schools in the area.
At second-level, a total of 91 ex-quota remedial posts are in place in the Dublin area in the current school year.
I will shortly be approving the allocation of a further 55 remedial teachers to the primary school sector. The further needs of schools in the Dublin area are being considered in this context.
A further 73 ex-quota remedial posts are also being allocated to the post-primary sector for the coming school year. 21 of these posts will be allocated to schools in the Dublin area.
