Noel Dempsey (Meath, Fianna Fail)

The 4,000 applications are being considered in the context of the assignment of resources to particular schools. They are part of the assessment of what is available and of what is needed in the schools. We hope to be in a position before the end of this school year to allocate resources on that basis.

The practice in regard to smaller schools is that those schools are clustered for resource teachers. This practice will continue. Discussions are ongoing on this matter and an examination of the various schools and clusters is taking place as part of the exercise. Clusters may change, because of increased enrolment in schools, but the principle of allocating resource teachers to clusters of small schools is being retained.

The Deputy asked if the 350 posts are in addition to those already in the system. They are additional posts. The calculation is based on introducing the weighted system and on the resources that are currently in the system.

The Deputy asked whether the weighted system will take into account schools in disadvantaged areas and the fact that more boys than girls have special educational needs. As I said on the last day during Question Time, we are trying to refine the system as much as we possibly can. These issues are being discussed at present.

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