Vol. 492 No. 7
63 Mr. Farrelly asked the Minister for Education and Science if he will introduce a policy to protect primary schools in rural Ireland from losing further teachers by introducing a two-tier pupil to teacher ratio system, where the population is declining in order to avoid the reintroduction of one and two teacher schools; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [14820/98]
The Deputy appears to be advocating the introduction of a separate preferential staffing schedule to determine staffing levels at rural primary schools.
Such a schedule would discriminate against similarly sized urban schools, and I have no plans to adopt the Deputy's proposal in this matter.
I can assure the Deputy, however, that I am conscious of the particular difficulties experienced by small rural schools, and I am committed to addressing their needs in line with the commitments outlined in An Action Programme for the Millennium.
