73 Mr. Ring asked the Minister for Education and Science when a second teacher will be appointed to a primary school (details supplied) in County Mayo in view of the fact that there is a teacher available to take this vacant position. [9709/98]
The school to which the Deputy refers is currently one of 103 one teacher national schools in the country. An Action Programme for the 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.
In the context of considering staffing arrangements for primary schools for the 1998-99 school year, 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 as outlined in An Action Programme for the Millennium.
