Dáil Éireann Debate, Wednesday - 27 October 2004
335 Mr. McGinley asked the Minister for Education and Science the plans being made to provide a school (details supplied) in Dublin 15 with additional support as per its submission of 7 October 2004, in view of its obvious needs, resultant from its high enrolment of international students; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [26272/04]
Amharc ar fhreagraI can confirm that my Department received a submission dated 28 September 2004 from the school and is aware of the situation with regard to the level of international pupils in attendance at the school.
The school currently has an allocation of three language support teachers and this is the maximum number of such teachers that is sanctioned to any school for this purpose. Where a school meets the criteria for allocation of resources under any scheme, it will be allocated the resources as appropriate. There are no exceptional measures open to my Department under which an additional allocation can be made to the school. In making resources available, my Department has, in general, to devise processes which treat schools equitably.
Notwithstanding this, arrangements will be made to have the case made by the school examined in more depth in the context of additional resources becoming available. Any expansion of existing schemes can only be done on a phased basis having regard to available resources and subject to spending priorities within the education sector.
The allocation of resource teaching support and special needs assistant support to primary schools is based on professional assessment of individual pupils with special educational needs and in accordance with the criteria set out in my Department's circulars. Two applications for such support submitted by the school in question are currently being considered in that context. However, my Department has no plans to sanction additional resource teaching provision or special needs assistant support to meet the needs of the international pupil cohort in the school.
