Vol. 476 No. 2
160 Miss Quill asked the Minister for Education if she will sanction a shared home-school-community liaison teacher under the scheme for disadvantaged areas for schools (details supplied); and if so, when approval will be given. [6702/97]
I am not in a position at present to extend the home-school-community liaison scheme to additional primary schools.
My capacity to allocate additional resources to this scheme in any year is determined by resource availability and the level of competing demands from other special needs areas. I have to establish priorities and determine how best to deploy available resources across a wide range of special needs.
In the current school year, I have adopted a particular focus on areas of educational disadvantage and have targeted available resources on these areas through the Breaking the Cycle initiative.
The needs of the schools in question will be considered in the context of any future development of the home-school-community liaison scheme which may be undertaken.
