Dáil Éireann díospóireacht -
Wednesday, 5 May 1993

Vol. 430 No. 3

Written Answers. - Synge Street (Dublin) School.

Frances Fitzgerald

Ceist:

78 Ms F. Fitzgerald asked the Minister for Education if she will include Sancta Maria Primary School, Synge Street, Dublin 8 in the scheme for disadvantaged schools in view of the fact that 95 per cent of the pupils entering the school come from schools which are already recognised as disadvantaged.

Minister for Education (Ms Bhreathnach)

I am aware that the school in question has applied for inclusion in the disadvantaged areas scheme.

The procedures for selecting schools for inclusion in the scheme are based on a range of socio-economic criteria agreed by a working party comprised of representative of my Department, the INTO and schools management.

The factors taken into account include the incidence of unemployment, local authority housing and medical card holders among the parents of the children concerned. Account is also taken of the views of my Department's Inspectorate on the relative levels of need between schools and the prevailing pupil teacher ratios.

At present under this scheme, a total of 208 primary schools have the services of 225 additional ex-quota teaching posts. The schools in question also receive supplementary capitation grants at the rate of £17 per pupil.

As I have recently announced to the House, I am allocating an additional 80 ex-quota teaching posts to the disadvantaged areas scheme with effect from September 1993. As part of this arrangement, an additional 50 schools will be newly included in the scheme.

All national schools were recently circularised and invited to apply for inclusion in this allocation. On the basis of information submitted, schools will be assessed and prioritised in order of need.

The application submitted by the school mentioned by the Deputy will be given full consideration in this context.

I should mention that this particular school has been included in the home/school/community liaison scheme operated by my Department and as such shares the services of a home/school/ community liaison co-ordinator with three other schools in the area.

Following consideration in my Department of the particular needs of this school, supplementary capitation funding was also allocated to it in the current school year.