Dáil Éireann díospóireacht -
Tuesday, 11 Oct 1994

Vol. 445 No. 6

Written Answers. - County Wicklow Schools.

Liz McManus

Ceist:

494 Ms McManus asked the Minister for Education if she will provide a resource teacher, full-time caretaker and secretary for and grant disadvantaged status to St. Fergal's Senior National School, Bray, County Wicklow, in view of previous commitments in this regard; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [606/94]

Minister for Education (Ms Bhreathnach)

I hope to allocate additional resource teachers to primary schools in the near future and, as already indicated to the school in question, their needs will be considered in the context of this development. In relation to caretaking and clerical services the position is that St. Fergal's senior national school shares a caretaker and clerk typist with St. Fergal's junior national school.

The Programme for Economic and Social Progress provided for the introduction of a phased programme to expand the provision of caretaking and clerical services to all national schools with 100 pupils upwards. My current priority is to direct the expanded provision in the first instance to schools which have no provision. The position of schools such as St. Fergals, which already have a sharing arrangement, will be examined in the context of whatever improvements are put in place in the later stages of the phased programme agreed under the Programme for Economic and Social Progress.

I am aware that St. Fergal's senior national school has applied for inclusion in the disadvantaged areas scheme. Schools are selected for inclusion in this scheme on the basis of priority of need as reflected by a range of socio-economic indicators. 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 ratio.

In the current year, a total of 54 primary schools were added to the disadvantaged areas scheme with effect from September, 1994. I regret that St. Fergal's senior national school did not rate high enough on the priority list among primary schools seeking disadvantaged status to warrant its inclusion in the scheme on this occasion.

Liz McManus

Ceist:

495 Ms McManus asked the Minister for Education if she will provide the services of a remedial teacher to Coolfancy National School, Coolfancy, Tinahely, County Wicklow, in view of the special needs of some of the pupils in this school; and if she will grant disadvantaged status to this school. [608/94]

Minister for Education (Ms Bhreathnach)

In the current year, I have announced the appointment of an additional 100 remedial teachers to the primary sector. This brings the total number of such posts now in place to 1,133. These appointments were made following the collection of data from the schools by my Department's primary inspectorate. I will be keeping the question of further need in this area under review and the needs of all schools, including Coolfancy national school, will be considered in this context.

An additional 54 schools have been included in the disadvantaged areas scheme with effect from September 1994. I am pleased to inform the Deputy that the school in question has been included among those selected and as such has received additional capitation funding at the rate of £17 per pupil.