Vol. 397 No. 6
161 Dr. Fitzpatrick asked the Minister for Education the number of special schools which are funded by her Department; the location of such schools; the nature of their speciality in each case; whether they cater for a region or for a national catchment area; the funding for each school; the number of teachers and pupils in each school; and the waiting list, if any, for each school.
A complete list of all special schools showing location under the various headings is attached separately for the Deputy's information. Most special schools cater for the region in which they are located, apart from a small number of very specialised schools which cater for pupils from the entire country. Enrolment is a matter for the board of management of each school but my Department are not aware of accommodation difficulties regarding the enrolment of pupils in any special school.
The salaries of the teachers are paid by the Department and the schools are mainly funded through a capitation system. As the Deputy will appreciate compiling a list detailing the numbers of teachers and pupils in each special school would involve an inordinate amount of official time.
