Vol. 444 No. 7
154 Mr. Gregory asked the Minister for Education if she will ensure that St. Gabriel's boys' national school, Cowper Street, Dublin 7, does not lose a teacher from its current staff in view of the disadvantaged community and the many allied difficulties of the school.
The staffing of a national school for a particular year is determined by the enrolment in the school on 30 September of the previous year.
The enrolment of St. Gabriel's boys' national school on 30 September 1993 was 90 pupils which warrants a staffing in the 1994-95 school year of a principal and two assistants. In addition, the school has the services of a remedial teacher on a full-time basis. Furthermore, the school has one extra concessionary post on account of the fact that the school is located in a disadvantaged area.
155 Mr. Gregory asked the Minister for Education the number of teacher's assistants in the pre-school, Seán McDermott Street, Dublin 1; if this is one short of the original number available to this worthwhile educational project; and if an additional assistant can be made available to the pre-school.
The pre-school project referred to by the Deputy has a staffing of a principal plus six assistant teachers and five classroom assistants catering for 94 pre-school children from the immediate neighbourhood.
The Deputy will be aware of my commitment to target resources on pre-school projects in disadvantaged areas and of my recent announcement of the establishment of eight pilot pre-school projects. I have also asked my Department to undertake a review of the staffing position of the Rutland Street pre-school project and this is currently underway.
I should point out that a vacancy was created on the classroom assistant staff of that project following the decision of the board of management to allow the facility of a career break to a classroom assistant in September 1989.
As the Government embargo on filling of vacancies was in place at that time it was not possible to sanction the appointment of a replacement.
