Vol. 478 No. 7
160 Miss Coughlan asked the Minister for Education if her attention has been drawn to the serious implications of her decision to suppress the post of first assistant teacher at the Wood school (details supplied), Ardara, County Donegal, particularly in view of the fact that the school is the only Church of Ireland school in the area and is included in the Breaking the Cycle scheme; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [12177/97]
As the Deputy is aware, 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 Wood school on 30 September 1996 was 22 pupils. This enrolment warrants a staffing of a principal only for the 1997-98 school year. The first assistant's post at the school will be suppressed at the end of the current school year. The suppression of the first assistant's post at the school does not impact on the school's participation in the breaking the cycle initiative.
161 Mr. O'Malley asked the Minister for Education the steps, if any, she will take to ensure that Scoil Íosagáin primary school (details supplied), Hospital, County Limerick will not lose one of its current teachers in view of the fact that many of the pupils come from disadvantaged backgrounds and almost 25 per cent need remedial help, that the school is on a dual sites, with a half mile distance between the two sites, that it has a remedial teacher which it shares with another primary school and that the principal is obliged to teach full-time while administering a school on two sites with no secretary or maintenance man. [12178/97]
On Thursday, 1 May 1997 officials from my Department met with a delegation from the board of management of Scoil Íosagáin primary school regarding the staffing at the school for the 1997-98 school year.
My officials indicated to the delegates at the meeting that their request for additional staffing would be examined in the light of available resources and that a decision would be conveyed to the board of management within the next two weeks.
