Vol. 501 No. 3
355 Mr. Barrett asked the Minister for Education and Science if Archbishop McQuaid junior school qualifies for extra resources under the Breaking the Cycle programme in view of its achievements in a disadvantaged area on a tight budget, its excellent reputation proven by a recent UCD Graduate School of Business study and further progress is thwarted due to lack of resources. [6024/99]
The school to which the Deputy refers is included in the disadvantaged areas scheme and as such receives supplementary capitation funding at a rate of £30 per pupil. In addition, because of its disadvantaged status, the school has been allocated an ex-quota teacher post and is included in the home-school-community liaison scheme.
In 1997 and 1998 my Department made special additional funding allocations of £1,228 and £2,293 respectively to alleviate financial difficulties faced by the school at that time. In the event of funding being available for this purpose in the current year, the needs of the school will again be considered.
The school in question was among those who applied for inclusion in the Breaking the Cycle scheme in 1996. All applicant schools were assessed by the Education Research Centre as to priority of need on the basis of criteria devised by the centre. Unfortunately, based on the data it received from the school at that time, the Education Research Centre did not consider the needs of the school to be of such priority as to warrant its inclusion in the scheme.
I can assure the Deputy that the needs of this school will be fully considered in the event of additional resources becoming available.
