Olwyn Enright
Question:197 Ms Enright asked the Minister for Education and Science if he intends to provide more resource teachers to primary schools; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [14982/02]
Written Answers. - School Staffing.
Resource teachers are allocated to provide teaching support for children with special educational needs arising from a disability, who are fully integrated in mainstream national schools, where there are no other adequate support teaching resources available to the children. The level of resource support is established fol lowing consideration of assessment reports carried out by relevant professionals.
Resource teacher posts may be sanctioned on a full-time basis, either in a single school or in a cluster of schools, provided there are sufficient children with special educational needs arising from a disability to warrant a full-time post. Alternatively, part-time hours may be sanctioned to provide support teaching for individual children or where there are insufficient children with special educational needs to warrant the allocation of a full-time post.
More than 1,700 full-time equivalent resource posts have been allocated to primary schools nation-wide and my Department will continue to extend this service in response to assessed needs.