I assume the Deputy refers to the Holy Child Infants' School. The staffing of a national school for a particular year is determined by the enrolment of the school on 30 September of the previous year.
The enrolment of the school referred to by the Deputy was 284 pupils on 30 September 1996. This enrolment warrants a staffing of a principal and nine assistant teachers for the 1997-98 school year. Accordingly, the tenth assistant's post will be suppressed at the end of the current school year. The teacher in question will be placed on the diocesan panel for redeployment.
While it is difficult to assess the impact of a new gaelscoil on existing schools, the expectation is that its impact would be minimal with regard to any particular school, given that a gaelscoil usually draws pupils from a wide area. It is noted that the intake of junior infant pupils to the Holy Child Infants' School last September was higher than the previous two years when the gaelscoil was not in operation.
The pupil-teacher ratio in primary gaelscoileanna is more favourable than that which applies to primary mainstream schools. This is a long standing arrangement reflecting the importance which successive Governments have attributed to the Irish language. I am committed to reducing the pupil-teacher ratio in mainstream primary schools generally. Since taking office, I have reduced the pupil-teacher ratio from 25.2:1 to 22.2:1. In September 1997, the pupil-teacher ratio in primary schools will be further reduced to below 22:1.
