Vol. 570 No. 4
147 Mr. Cregan asked the Minister for Education and Science the situation in relation to staff numbers at a school (details supplied) in Dublin 11 for the next school year; if this school, with disadvantaged status and many of the pupils from a RAPID area, will be given the benefit of the even break and other initiatives available; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [19269/03]
Schools participating in Giving Children An Even Break are eligible to receive a range of additional supports including teacher posts and financial 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 referred to by the Deputy is included in the urban dimension of Giving Children An Even Break. It is benefiting from supplementary funding to provide additional educational supports for the children concerned. The school was not considered eligible for additional teaching staff based on the level of concentration of "at risk" pupils in the school as reflected in the outcome of the Educational Research Centre survey. I established an independent appeals board to adjudicate on appeals from boards of management on the mainstream staffing allocations in primary schools. The school in question has made an appeal to the appeals board in relation to its staffing for the 2003-04 school year. The appeals board is scheduled to meet this week and the school's board of management will be notified of its decision as soon as possible thereafter.
