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Dáil Éireann debate -
Tuesday, 20 Feb 1996

Vol. 461 No. 7

Written Answers. - Remedial Teacher Placement.

Tom Moffatt

Question:

221 Dr. Moffatt asked the Minister for Education if she will provide as a matter of urgency the services of a remedial teacher for Curraghboggan national school, Knockmore, Ballina, County Mayo. [3804/96]

I am not in a position at present to make remedial teacher posts available to primary schools, including the school mentioned by the Deputy.

During 1995, I announced the allocation of an additional 55 remedial teacher posts to primary schools. These posts were allocated to schools with effect from September 1995 on the basis of priority of need following recommendations from my Department's primary inspectorate. Account was also taken of data submitted by the applicant schools.

This allocation brought the total number of remedial teachers now in place in the primary sector to 1,188. Unfortunately the school mentioned by the Deputy was not successful on this occasion.

I am keeping the question of further appointments in this area under regular review. I can assure the Deputy that the remedial needs of pupils attending the school in question will be taken fully into account as part of this process.

At this stage, 87 per cent of the pupils in our primary schools have the possibility of access to a remedial teacher. This is a big improvement on the position when I took office in 1993 when 77 per cent of pupils had the possibility of such access. I regret that it is not possible at present to meet the needs of all pupils for remedial teaching as, unfortunately, I do not have unlimited resources.

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