Vol. 487 No. 3
296 Mr. Flanagan asked the Minister for Education and Science if his attention has been drawn to the need for a resource teacher to be appointed at a school (details supplied) in County Laois; if he has conducted a review on the need for this appointment; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [3835/98]
I am aware of the application for the appointment of a resource teacher to the school in question. However, I am not in a position at present to allocate additional resource teacher posts to primary schools. 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 arrangements were based on the allocation of surplus posts available for redistribution from the demographic dividend for the 1997-98 school year.
A total of 32 resource teacher posts have been allocated to primary schools with effect from September 1997. These posts were allocated on the basis of priority of need for access to a resource teaching service.
