Dáil Éireann díospóireacht -
Tuesday, 11 May 1993

Vol. 430 No. 5

Written Answers. - Island Schools.

Robert Molloy

Ceist:

206 Mr. Molloy asked the Minister for Education if, pursuant to her reply to Parliamentary Question No. 10 of 5 May 1993, she will give the pupil/teacher ratio that applies on islands; and if she will give the names of the specific islands where it applies.

Robert Molloy

Ceist:

207 Mr. Molloy asked the Minister for Education the number of pupils in national schools in each off-shore island; and the number of teachers in these schools.

Minister for Education (Ms Bhreathnach)

I propose to take Questions Nos. 206 and 207 together.

The following list shows the enrolment in all the Island schools at 31 September 1992 and the staffing warranted in each school for the 1993-94 school year based on that enrolment.

School	Enrolment at 30/9/92	Staffing 93/94 yr.
Kilronan, Galway	59	Principal & Assistant
Onaght, Galway	32	Principal & Assistant
Fearann an Choirce, Galway	20	Principal
Inishboffin, Galway	20	Principal
Inis Meáin, Galway	19	Principal
Inis Oírr	43	Principal & Assistant
Clare Island, Mayo	26	Principal
Inishturk, Mayo	21	Principal
Sherkin Island, Cork	14	Principal
Cape Clear, Cork	19	Principal & Assistant
Toraigh, Donegal	29	Principal
Arranmore 1, Donegal	48	Principal & Assistant
Arranmore 2, Donegal	26	Principal & Assistant

Special staffing arrangements are applicable in the case of island schools in that the post of an assistant teacher may be retained on a minimum enrolment of 20 pupils as compared with 25 elsewhere.

An exception to the normal staffing arrangements was made in one Island School, Cape Clear Island.

This school has pupils enrolled in a special Gael Linn course. Account is taken of the enrolment of those pupils in determining the staffing and this school, therefore, has a special pupil teacher ratio. The case of Inis Meáin national school is currently under consideration by my Department.