Dáil Éireann Debate, Thursday - 21 October 2004
192 Mr. F. McGrath asked the Minister for Education and Science the reason 18 persons deemed to require special education teaching at a school (details supplied) in County Meath will now only receive 22 minutes of teaching per child per week under the new re-clustering arrangement; and if this school will be given maximum support and assistance. [25855/04]
Amharc ar fhreagraAs the Deputy will be aware the allocation of teaching resources for special needs comprises two elements, a general allocation based on overall pupil numbers in respect of high-incidence disability categories and learning support needs and individual specific allocations in respect of specified low incidence disability categories. Any application for individual allocations made by this school will be processed as speedily as possible in accordance with the relevant criteria.
The school has also been notified of its provisional entitlement under the general allocation. My Department's inspectorate is currently finalising the clustering of schools for the purposes of these allocations. Following that exercise it is my intention to review the potential impact of the revised general allocations to minimise adverse impact on schools. Following that review final allocations and clustering arrangements will be notified to schools.
The school in question has the services of one full-time, shared learning support teacher post, not based in the school, and one full-time resource teacher post. There will be no diminution in the level of these services pending the outcome of the review.
