At present, 58 of the 76 primary schools in County Westmeath have a remedial teaching service. Thirteen of these schools have a full-time remedial teacher and the remaining 45 have a shared remedial service. Eighteen primary schools in the county do not have access to a remedial teaching service at present.
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 and included the allocation of 51 remedial teacher posts to primary schools with effect from September 1997. These posts were allocated on the basis of priority of need for remedial tuition.