Beverley Flynn
Question:415 Ms Cooper-Flynn asked the Minister for Education and Science when a second teacher will be appointed to Kinaffe national school (details supplied), County Mayo. [7160/98]
Written Answers. - Teacher Appointments.
In March 1997, the outgoing Minister for Education agreed staffing arrangements for primary schools for the current 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.
The Deputy will be aware that An 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 the one teacher schools with ten or more pupils will receive a second teacher.
There are currently 103 one teacher primary schools, including Kinaffe national school, with ten or more pupils. As there are no teaching posts at present available to me 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 commitment to one teacher schools.