Michael Ring
Question:73 Mr. Ring asked the Minister for Education when he intends to appoint a second teacher to all the one-teacher schools in County Mayo in view of promises in this regard. [14102/97]
Written Answers - Teacher Appointments.
In March 1997 the outgoing Minister for Education agreed staffing arrangements for primary schools for the next school year with the Irish National Teachers Organisation. These agreed arrangements were based on the allocation of all surplus posts available for redistribution from the demographic dividend for the 1997-98 school year.
The Deputy will be aware that the Action Programme for the Millennium contains a commitment to give primary education a clear priority in allocating resources. In this context, the programme specifically states that one teacher schools with ten or more pupils will receive a second teacher.
Currently, there are 103 one teacher primary schools with ten or more pupils in the country. A further 23 schools are due to become one teacher schools from 1 September 1997.
Since there are no teaching posts available to me from the 1997-98 demographic dividend for allocation to these schools, I am currently examining a range of options with a view to identifying the most appropriate way to fulfil the Government's commitments to one teacher schools, and especially to the 23 schools referred to above.