Dáil Éireann debate -
Wednesday, 13 Dec 1995

Vol. 459 No. 7

Written Answers. - Grant Payments.

Mary Coughlan

Question:

42 Miss Coughlan asked the Minister for Education if her attention has been drawn to the inadequacies of the grant towards remedial teachers; if her attention has further been drawn to the inequity whereby remedial teachers sharing centres receive only one grant for the centre at which they are designated and, as a consequence, the other centres are inadequately funded for the provision of teaching material for their remedial teachers; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [18725/95]

Minister for Education (Ms Bhreathnach)

I do not accept that the grants available to remedial teachers are inadequate. Each remedial teacher is allocated a start-up grant of £400. This is further supplemented by an annual top-up grant of £200 to fund the replacement of equipment used through the course of the school year.

In 1994, I sanctioned a very substantial increase of 60 per cent in both of these grants. The start-up grant was increased from £250 to £400 and the annual top-up grant was increased from £125 to £200. I will continue to review the level of grants in the context of available resources and having regard to competing demands for supports in the special needs area.

I should point out that the funding in question is intended to equip the remedial teacher to deliver the service to all the children on his or her case load. This applies whether the remedial teacher is dealing with children in one or more schools. Where schools are being served by more than one remedial teacher, the grants in question are payable in respect of each remedial teacher post.