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Dáil Éireann díospóireacht -
Wednesday, 25 Nov 1998

Vol. 497 No. 3

Written Answers - School Staffing.

Noel Ahern

Ceist:

203 Mr. N. Ahern asked the Minister for Education and Science the staff complement for teachers and classroom assistants in St. Paul's special national school, Beaumont, Dublin 9; if he has considered the request for five additional classroom assistants for the pupils who need a high level of one to one attention; if the extra positions will be approved in 1999; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [25149/98]

The school referred to by the Deputy has a staff complement of a principal, nine teachers, two part-time teachers and two special needs assistants. The current enrolment of the school is 46 pupils. I am aware that the school in question has recently submitted an application to my Department for the allocation of an additional six special needs assistant posts.

I recently announced a major new initiative in the special education area under which all children assessed as having special educational needs will be entitled to an automatic response to those needs. The level and nature of the response in each case will depend on the assessed needs of the child or group of children involved. The response may take the form of full or part-time teaching or child care support, depending on the number of children involved and the nature of their special needs.

The case put forward by the school in question is among a number of applications for special needs assistants currently being considered by my Department in the context of this new development in special needs provision. I expect that responses in such cases will begin to issue shortly and continue through 1999.

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