Vol. 465 No. 7
86 Miss M. Wallace asked the Minister for Education the number of resource teachers in County Meath; the number of children being helped by these teachers; the number of such children who are in mainstream schools; the number of such children in special schools; and the number of children in County Meath for whom a need has been identified but who do not have a resource teacher available to them. [10575/96]
There are no resource teacher posts attached to ordinary national schools in County Meath. Accordingly, there are no children in mainstream schools in receipt of assistance from a resource teacher in the county. The resource teacher service does not extend to children attending special schools.
The resource teacher is a recent addition to the support teacher service available for children with special needs attending mainstream schools. There are now 36 resource teacher posts allocated to the primary sector.
My Department has received a number of applications from national schools in County Meath for resource teachers, to cater for approximately 30 children with special needs. I am not in a position at present to make further resource teacher posts available to primary schools. However, when I am in a position to extend the resource teacher service, the needs of these children will receive every consideration.
