Austin Currie
Ceist:468 Mr. Currie asked the Minister for Education and Science whether he will appoint extra home-school liaison co-ordinators to north Clondalkin schools, Dublin 22; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [21057/97]
Written Answers. - Teacher Appointments.
Austin Currie
Ceist:473 Mr. Currie asked the Minister for Education and Science when he will provide extra remedial teachers for north Clondalkin, Dublin 22; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [21062/97]
I propose to take Questions Nos. 468 and 473 together.
My capacity to allocate additional ex-quota teacher posts to the remedial and home-school-community liaison services in any school year is dependent on resource availability in that year. 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.
Accordingly, I am not in a position at present to allocate additional remedial or home-school-committee liaison posts to schools in the area mentioned by the Deputy.
However, I am reviewing provision across the special needs area at present to ensure that all available resources continue to be deployed as effectively as possible. I assure the Deputy that the needs of the schools to which he refers will be fully considered in this context.