Dáil Éireann díospóireacht -
Tuesday, 9 May 1995

Vol. 452 No. 5

Written Answers. - Dublin School Staffing Levels.

Tony Gregory

Ceist:

78 Mr. Gregory asked the Minister for Education if she will have arrangements made to review the staffing levels available in a school (details supplied) in Dublin 1 in which the principal acts as a resource teacher working with children with special difficulties; and if she will maintain current staff levels in September 1995, when there may be a marginal reduction in pupil numbers. [8213/95]

Minister for Education (Ms Bhreathnach)

The school referred to by the Deputy will lose its third assistant's post at the end of the current school year. This is because the staffing of national schools for a particular year is determined by the enrolment of the school on 30 September of the previous year. The total enrolment of the school on 30 September 1994 was 89 pupils, which warrants a staffing in the 1995-96 school year of a principal and two assistants. Accordingly, the third assistant's post will be suppressed at the end of the current school year. The teacher in question has been given the option of having his name placed on the diocesan panel for redeployment, which will not take place before 1 September 1995.

I should also point out to the Deputy that, in addition to the staffing details which I have mentioned above, this school has the services of a full time remedial teacher as well as a concessionary post under the scheme for schools serving areas designated as disadvantaged.

The role of the resource teacher is to act in support of ordinary teaching staff in dealing with handicapped children attending ordinary classes. To date, a total of 26 such posts have been allocated to the primary school sector. As I recently announced, I intend to allocate an additional ten resource teacher posts to primary schools in 1995. These posts will be allocated on the basis of priority of need following the collection of data by my Department's primary inspectorate. My Department has not received an application for a resource teacher from the school in question. However, if an application is submitted to my Department, the matter will be fully considered in the context of the allocation of posts in 1995.