Vol. 481 No. 4
251 Mr. D. Carey asked the Minister for Education and Science the current staff levels at Clarecastle National School, County Clare; and when he will allow the board of management to appoint a replacement assistant teacher. [16250/97]
The enrolment at Clarecastle National School on 30 September 1996 was 254 pupils. This warrants a staffing for the 1997-98 school year of a principal and eight assistant teachers. Accordingly, I regret that I am not in a position to sanction the appointment of an additional assistant teacher at this time.
The school management has recently made application to my Department for a special teacher for traveller children. In the particular circumstances of this case, and given the number of traveller children attending the school, I am pleased to inform the Deputy that I have sanctioned a special teacher for travellers for the school.
252 Mr. Finucane asked the Minister for Education and Science when a concessionary or resource teacher will be appointed to a school (details supplied) in County Limerick in view of the urgent necessity for this appointment. [16251/97]
In March 1997, the outgoing Minister for Education agreed staffing arrangements for primary schools for the 1997-98 school year with the Irish National Teachers Organisation. These agreed arrangements were based on the allocation of surplus posts available for redistribution from the demographic dividend for the 1997-98 school year. For the current school year, a total of 31 additional resource teachers have been allocated to primary schools. This brings the total number of resource teachers in the primary system to 77.
My Department's capacity to allocate concessionary posts or resource posts in any year is entirely dependent on resource availability and the level of competing demand across the special needs area. Where such posts do become available, they are allocated on the basis of priority of need.
Unfortunately, I am not in a position to allocate any further such posts to primary schools at present. I am currently reviewing provision across the special needs area to ensure that all available resources are deployed as effectively as possible.
I assure the Deputy that in the event of additional posts becoming available, the needs of the school in question will be considered.
