Vol. 528 No. 1
435 Mr. Stanton asked the Minister for Education and Science the role and function of resource teachers in primary schools; the number of such teachers employed; the hours involved; the cost in this regard; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [29824/00]
Resource teachers are allocated to provide teaching support for children with special educational needs arising from a disability, who are fully integrated in mainstream national schools, where there are no other adequate support teaching resources available to the children. The level of resource support is established following consideration of assessment reports carried out by relevant professionals.
Resource teacher posts may be sanctioned on a full-time basis, either in a single school or in a cluster of schools, provided there are sufficient children with special educational needs arising from a disability to warrant a full-time post. Alternatively, part-time hours may be sanctioned to provide support teaching for individual children or where there are insufficient children with special educational needs to warrant the allocation of a full-time post.
