Vol. 496 No. 6
398 Mr. Howlin asked the Minister for Education and Science the plans, if any, he has to abolish the restriction under which second level schools with less than 500 students are denied entitlement to a full ex-quota career guidance teacher and a full ex-quota deputy principal; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [23370/98]
457 Mr. Yates asked the Minister for Education and Science the plans, if any, he has to ensure that the unjust discriminatory policy, which denies second level schools with less than 500 pupils a full ex-quota career guidance teacher and deputy principal, is ended; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [23913/98]
I propose to take Questions Nos. 398 and 457 together.
All second level schools in the free education system have an ex-quota allocation in respect of guidance. The allocation to individual schools varies from 0.1 of a post to two posts depending on the enrolment in the school.
All second level schools with enrolments of 500 or more pupils are allocated an ex-quota deputy principal post. Schools in the free education system with enrolments of 1,000 or more pupils and disadvantaged schools with enrolments of 900 or more pupils are allocated a second deputy principal post.
The question of allocating additional ex-quota deputy principal and guidance posts must be considered in the context of available resources.
