Vol. 429 No. 3
255 Mr. Noonan (Limerick East) asked the Minister for Education the reason a primary school (details supplied) in Limerick city is losing a teacher; if she will sanction the appointment of a second concessionary teacher to carry out remedial teaching at the school; and if she will make a statement on the matter.
The staffing of national schools for a particular year is determined by the enrolment in the school on 30 September of the previous year.
The enrolment in Our Lady Queen of Peace on 30 September 1991 was 271 which warranted a staff of principal and eight assistants for the 1992-93 school year, that is from 1 September 1992. The ninth assistant was placed on the Diocesan Panel for redeployment. However the teacher was allowed an exemption from the panel on grounds of maternity and hence was only redeployed to another school from 22 March 1993.
The Programme for a Partnership Government made a specific commitment to the appointment of 500 additional remedial teachers by September 1996.
As a first step towards honouring this commitment, I have decided to appoint an additional 80 remedial teachers with effect from September, 1993.
These posts will be allocated to individual and groups of schools on the basis of priority of needs, as indicated by data collected from schools.
The needs of all schools including the school mentioned by the Deputy will be considered in this context.
