Vol. 518 No. 1
183 Mr. J. O'Keeffe asked the Minister for Education and Science the plans, if any, he has to provide a full-time remedial teacher for Scoil Eoin, Innishannon, County Cork, in view of the fact that the existing service is entirely inadequate for a school with 250 pupils and a remedial teacher who is shared with three other schools; and if he will ensure that the situation is rectified immediately. [11168/00]
There are no plans at present to provide a full-time remedial teacher to the school to which the Deputy refers.
In September 1999 the remedial teacher service was extended to all primary schools with a pupil teacher ratio of 10:1 or above. Schools with lower pupil teacher ratios were also advised that they could seek remedial support from my Department where they could demonstrate a need for such a service.
Available posts were utilised in the current school year to extend the remedial service to those schools which had previously been without a service.
However, I can assure the Deputy that I have noted the situation to which he refers and that the remedial needs of Scoil Eoin, Innishannon, will be fully considered in the event of additional resources becoming available to improve existing remedial services.
