asked the Minister for Education if he is now prepared to sanction the appointment of a second building construction instructor in County Dublin.
Ceisteanna—Questions. Oral Answers. - County Dublin Building Instructor.
44.
There are no teachers of woodwork and building construction available for allocation at present. On completion of the training course which it is proposed to hold from October, 1966, to August, 1967, consideration will be given to the question of the allocation of a second such teacher to the County Dublin Vocational Education Committee.
Is it not true that there are a number of these building construction instructors in some counties? Is it not also true that the man in Dublin is not able to keep up with the work, that he is very much in arrears, and nothing can be done about it? Is there a fair or unfair distribution of the teachers? Is the Minister further aware that it is a considerable time since we asked permission to have a second building instructor?
I am aware it is a considerable time since the application was made. I am sure the Deputy is aware of the difficulty in recruiting this kind of teachers who need to be tradesmen with some supervisory experience and some ability to teach. They are a difficult kind of person to get. As regards the allocation of these teachers, as far as I know it is fair. I have no knowledge to the contrary. The Deputy will be aware that they are particularly in demand in remote rural areas, and we have to try to allocate them as fairly as we can between the various applicants throughout the country.
Would it be right to say there are as many as four in one country?
This would be correct, but I think the Deputy would know there are only one or two in most committee areas.