I propose taking Priority Question No. 5 and Questions Nos. 8, 30, 37, 39 and 49 together.
Arising from commitments made in the context of the last programme for Government, and carried forward into the Programme for Economic and Social Progress, my Department entered into discussions with representatives of management, teachers and parents in order to establish agreed criteria on relative disadvantage in schools. The agreed criteria are based on socio-economic indicators of disadvantage and include such factors as unemployment levels, local authority housing, rural deprivation, medical card holders, children of lone parents and information on basic literarcy and numeracy.
All primary and post-primary schools were invited to supply details of the number of pupils to whom agreed criteria applied. The schools which responded have been placed in an order of priority. Some 60 additional posts were allocated to post-primary schools for the 1990-91 school-year on the basis of that information. In the case of primary schools, 30 home-school-community liaison teachers were allocated to groups of schools in selected disadvantaged areas. A further 60 posts will be allocated to post-primary schools in disadvantaged areas from September this year, arising from the agreed criteria. There are already 180 teachers in primary schools in disadvantaged areas and 30 additional teachers will be appointed. In addition, further home-school-community liaison teachers will be appointed. This will bring the number of schools served by this scheme to approximately 80 and the total number of schools deemed to be disadvantaged to over 200. In addition, 80 remedial teachers will be appointed for the school year commencing in September 1991.
At present all schools with an enrolment of 500 pupils or more qualify for a guidance teacher. Under the terms of the programme, schools in the 350-499 enrolment category will, in a graded way, qualify for a guidance teacher. The same will apply to VEC schools. I will not delay the House by reading out the entire reply. I will gladly answer any questions raised by Deputies on the matter.