Dáil Éireann debate -
Wednesday, 12 Nov 1997

Vol. 482 No. 6

Written Answers. - School Staffing.

Jim Higgins

Question:

470 Mr. Higgins (Mayo) asked the Minister for Education and Science if his Department will sanction a full-time secretary, the appointment of a teacher-counsellor and a home, school and community liaison person for a school (details supplied) in County Mayo in view of the proven emotional disturbance in the case of 50 children and regular absenteeism. [19032/97]

Minister for Education and Science (Mr. Martin)

In March 1997, the outgoing Minister for Education agreed staffing arrangements for primary schools for the 1997-98 school year with the

Irish National Teachers' Organisation. These agreed arrangements were based on the allocation of surplus posts available for redistribution from the demographic dividend for the 1997-98 school year. Accordingly, I am not in a position at present to allocate additional teacher-counsellors or home, school and community liaison co-ordinators to primary schools. I have asked my Department's inspectorate to investigate the special needs of the pupils referred to by the Deputy.

Under the terms of the Programme for Economic and Social Progress, a phased programme of financial assistance by way of a supplementary capitation grant for the provision of caretaking and clerical services in schools was introduced from 1 September 1992. The school to which the Deputy refers has benefited under this scheme and is currently in receipt of grant assistance towards the cost of clerical services.

The Department's scheme of employing caretakers and secretaries on a full-time basis is being replaced by the capitation based scheme and I regret that it is not, therefore, possible to sanction the appointment of a full-time secretary to the school.