Dáil Éireann debate -
Tuesday, 12 May 1998

Vol. 490 No. 7

Written Answers. - Teaching Posts.

Jan O'Sullivan

Question:

23 Ms O'Sullivan asked the Minister for Education and Science the way in which he intends to extend a remedial teaching service to every primary school; the time-frame in which he proposes to achieve this; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [11076/98]

Jim Higgins

Question:

55 Mr. Higgins (Mayo) asked the Minister for Education and Science if he will appoint a shared remedial teacher for Attymass, Bonniconlon, Bofield and Carra national schools, County Mayo. [10956/98]

Michael Finucane

Question:

60 Mr. Finucane asked the Minister for Education and Science if he will introduce a remedial budget for the 741 schools which have no remedial service to enable them to plan and develop a suitable backup service. [11103/98]

Minister for Education and Science (Mr. Martin)

I propose to take Questions Nos. 23, 55 and 60 together.

An Action Programme for the Millennium contains a commitment to give primary education a clear priority in allocating resources. The programme highlights in particular the provision of remedial teachers and resources for special learning difficulties. In keeping with this commitment, I recently announced my intention to ensure that all primary schools have access to a remedial teaching service.

About 45,000 children in 741 primary schools throughout the country do not have access to a service. Many of the schools without access to a remedial service are small rural schools in dispersed locations where surrounding schools may already have access to a remedial service. The level of remedial need in some of these schools is unlikely to be such as to warrant the allocation of a full remedial teacher post. At the same time, the location of some of the schools means that it is not possible to put in place workable sharing arrangements with other schools.

More innovative solutions are needed if the needs of these schools are to be met.

In these circumstances, I am currently considering putting in place an arrangement involving a combination of full-time remedial post allocations, if necessary on a shared basis, and other initiatives, where this is the more appropriate response, having regard to the number of pupils involved.

I intend to begin to put in place such a system for the forthcoming school year.

My Department has already been in touch with all primary schools in the country, with a view to getting an up-to-date picture of the level of remedial need in all schools. The aim is to ensure that any additional remedial allocations made for the forthcoming school year will be properly targeted. In this context, I assure the Deputy that the needs of the schools to which he refers will be considered in the context of any additional remedial allocations which may be undertaken for the forthcoming school year.