Dinny McGinley
Ceist:340 Mr. McGinley asked the Minister for Education if he will maintain the first assistant in the Wood School, Ardara, County Donegal. [13920/97]
Written Answers. - Teacher Appointments.
Dinny McGinley
Ceist:341 Mr. McGinley asked the Minister for Education if it is the policy of his Department to maintain the first assistant in two-teacher schools regardless of enrolment. [13921/97]
Austin Deasy
Ceist:342 Mr. Deasy asked the Minister for Education if he will ensure that Knockmahon national school, Bonmahon, County Waterford, continues to operate as a two-teacher school; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [13922/97]
Michael Creed
Ceist:345 Mr. Creed asked the Minister for Education when he intends to issue sanction to all single-teacher primary schools for the recruitment of a second teacher. [13925/97]
Róisín Shortall
Ceist:365 Ms Shortall asked the Minister for Education if he will give details of the number of one-teacher schools with more that ten pupils currently in the country; if he intends to give effect to an undertaking in An Action Programme for the Millennium to employ a second teacher in these cases; his views on whether this is a priority area; if he intends to give priority to this area in view of the urgent need to employ additional teachers in the larger urban schools in areas of severe disadvantage; the basis for this apparent imbalance in the Government's stated priority objectives; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [14079/97]
I propose to take Questions Nos. 340, 341, 342, 345 and 365 together.
In March 1997, the outgoing Minister for Education agreed staffing arrangements for primary schools for the next school year with the Irish National Teachers Organisation. These agreed arrangements were based on the allocation of all surplus posts available for redistribution from the demographic dividend for the 1997-98 school year.
The Deputies will be aware that the Action Programme for the new Millennium contains a commitment to give primary education a clear priority in allocating resources. In this context, the programme specifically states that one teacher schools with ten or more pupils will receive a second teacher.
Currently, there are 103 one teacher primary schools with ten or more pupils in the country. A further 23 schools are due to become one-teacher schools from 1 September 1997.
Since there are no teaching posts available to me from the 1997-98 demographic dividend for allocation to these schools, I am examining a range of options with a view to identifying the most appropriate way to fulfil the Government's commitments to one teacher schools, and especially to the 23 schools referred to above.
I can assure Deputy Shortall that over the lifetime of this Government I will work diligently to alleviate educational disadvantage in all areas, urban or rural, in order to ensure equal access and opportunity for all pupils to achieve their educational potential.