Vol. 533 No. 1
138 Ms O'Sullivan asked the Minister for Education and Science if he will provide a home-school community liaison teacher and further teaching and financial support to assist Castleconnell national school, County Limerick, address the social problems faced by the school; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [8487/01]
141 Mr. Noonan asked the Minister for Education and Science if he has received correspondence from the principal of a school (details supplied) in County Limerick regarding the appointment of additional staff; the steps his Department has taken to meet this request; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [8307/01]
I propose to take Questions Nos. 138 and 141 together.
The home-school-community liaison scheme was last expanded in September 1999. This expansion included any remaining schools designated as disadvantaged that did not have a home-school-community liaison service. There are no immediate plans to expand the home-school-community liaison scheme.
The Deputies will be aware that last January I launched a major new programme to deal with educational disadvantage in primary schools. Schools participating in the new programme are eligible to receive a range of additional supports, including teacher posts and other non-teaching supports to be targeted at disadvantaged pupils. The additional supports to be provided reflect the level of concentration of pupils from educationally disadvantaged backgrounds in each school invited to participate in the programme. The school in question did not rank sufficiently high in terms of the level of disadvantage in the school to receive additional teaching resources. However, the school is included in the rural dimension of the programme and is eligible to receive supplementary grant aid of £1,637 towards the provision of suitable educational supports for the pupils concerned.
I note that the school has arranged a meeting with the inspector to discuss its request for additional staff and my Department will request a report from the inspector following that meeting.
