Tony Gregory
Question:255 Mr. Gregory asked the Minister for Education and Science the staffing arrangements for St. Joseph's national school, East Wall Road, Dublin 3 for the 2002/03 school year. [13008/02]
Written Answers. - School Staffing.
The mainstream staffing of a national school for a particular school year is determined by the enrolment in the school on 30 September of the previous year. This is in accordance with an agreement on staffing entered into between the Government and the education partners. The enrolment of this school on 30 September 2001 was 212 pupils. This figure was incorrectly returned earlier as 208 pupils leading to some confusion with regard to the loss of the eighth mainstream class teacher. I wish to confirm that the staffing at St. Joseph's national school for the 2002-03 school year will remain unchanged from the 2001-02 school year.
Tony Gregory
Question:256 Mr. Gregory asked the Minister for Education and Science if he will review the decision to remove special needs assistants in national schools from the payroll for Easter holidays 2002, in cases where the assistants work for the full school day but are referred to as part-time; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [13009/02]
Part-time special needs assistants are contracted to deliver a specified number of hours service per week in the schools in which they are employed and are paid accordingly. The duration of the service provided is based on the professionally assessed needs of the individual children in respect of whom the special needs assistant support is allocated. Special needs assistants employed on a part-time basis are paid at an hourly rate. Under current legislation, 8% of total earnings are paid to each part-time special needs assistant in respect of holiday pay.
I am very much aware of the vital role which special needs assistants play in the special education system. My Department has no plans at present to pay part-time special needs assistants through the holiday periods.