Vol. 476 No. 2
150 Mr. O'Malley asked the Minister for Education if she will appoint a remedial teacher to a school (details supplied) in County Limerick which first applied for this post in 1988 and where it is estimated that 15 per cent of the pupils need remedial help. [6545/97]
166 Mr. H. Byrne asked the Minister for Education if her attention has been drawn to the necessity for a remedial teacher to service national schools (details supplied) in County Wexford; if she will have arrangements made to provide this service; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [6759/97]
I propose to take Questions Nos. 150 and 166 together.
Remedial teacher posts are allocated to schools on the basis of priority of need as determined by my Department following the collection and analysis of data from schools, by my Department's inspectorate. The allocation of such posts is also subject to resource availability in any given year.
I am not in a position at present to allocate additional remedial teachers to primary schools. Since my appointments as Minister for Education, I have allocated an additional 241 remedial teachers to the primary sector. A total of 1,188 remedial teachers are now in place and the percentage of pupils who have access to a remedial service has increased from 77 per cent to 87 per cent.
However, as Minister for Education, I have to consider how best to deploy available resources across a wide range of special needs. I have to determine priorities and try to allocate resources to best effect.
In the current year, I have adopted a particular focus on children who suffer from educational disadvantage and have sought to target resources into these area in an effort to break the cycle of disadvantage. As part of this approach, I recently launched a major new initiative aimed at bringing special targeted assistance to children in selected urban and rural areas who suffer serious educational disadvantage.
I am satisfied that since my appointment as Minister for Education I have achieved substantial advances across the entire spectrum of special needs, including the remedial area. It is my intention to continue this process.
When I am next in a position to extend the remediation service, the needs of the schools in question will receive every consideration.
