Seán Haughey (Dublin North Central, Fianna Fail)

I thank the Deputy for raising this issue as it affords me the opportunity to outline the position with regard to language support teachers and the position at the school in question.

Notwithstanding the increase of €302 million in the education budget for 2009, which is a real achievement in the current economic climate, a number of tough and difficult decisions had to be taken. These decisions included reducing the level of language support teachers from a maximum of six extra teachers per school to a maximum of two teachers per school, as was the case before 2007.

At a general level, the ongoing requirement for current levels of language support teachers in schools should also start to reduce in line with lower levels of immigration and in line with improvements in the levels of proficiency of those pupils for whom this resource has been available. Nonetheless, schools that require language support will still be entitled to get it. The budget measures will mean that the level of that support will be reduced from a maximum of six extra teachers per school to a maximum of two teachers per school, as was the case before 2007.

However, the budget measures also provide for some alleviation for the position of those schools where there is a significant concentration of newcomer pupils as a proportion of the overall enrolment. This will be done on a case by case basis. The allocation process for language support teachers is an annual one and existing provision is not rolled over automatically. Schools will be applying afresh in the spring and early summer of 2009 for the 2009 and 2010 school year, based on their assessment of the prospective needs of existing pupils and any new pupils they are enrolling. The position of the school in question will fall to be considered at that stage along with all other schools making application to the Department.

A number of measures had to be taken in the education sector to help contain public sector pay while providing for demographic and other changes. At primary level, these included an increase in the enrolment bands of the staffing schedule for the allocation of teachers in primary schools from an average of one teacher for 27 pupils to an average of one teacher for 28 pupils. As the processing of the September 2008 enrolment returns for primary schools are not yet finalised by the Department of Education and Science, it is not possible to outline to the House this evening the impact these changes will have on the allocation of mainstream teaching posts for the 2009 and 2010 school year for the school in question. The staffing schedule for the 2009 and 2010 school year will issue to all schools as soon as possible and at that time a more accurate indication of the mainstream staffing levels will be available.

The Department is aware of the funding pressures on schools. However, progress has been made in recent years that has seen the primary school capitation grant increased from €81.26 per pupil in 2000 to its current rate of €200. This represents an increase of 146% in the standard rate of capitation grant since 2000. The primary capitation grant has been improved by more than €21 to bring the rate to €200 per pupil. The ancillary services grant for primary schools will also be improved by €3.50 to €155 per pupil.

Taken together, these increases mean that primary schools eligible for the full ancillary services grant will get €355 per pupil, or almost €25 extra, in this school year to cover their day to day running costs, with a primary school of 300 pupils getting €7,475 more. In 2000, a primary school with 300 pupils was in receipt of less than €40,000 to meet its day to day running costs. That same school under these new rates will receive €106,500. This excludes the salary of teachers and special needs assistants which are paid by the Department.

Furthermore enhanced rates of capitation funding are paid in respect of children with special educational needs who attend special schools or special classes attached to mainstream schools. The current rates range from €512 to €986 per pupil, an increase of 59% from the rate in 2006. The Minister, Deputy Batt O'Keeffe, appreciates that the abolition of a number of grants for some schools will impact on funding levels in 2009 but it is also the case that enhanced levels of funding announced in the budget for the capitation and ancillary services grants will help to alleviate the impact of this.

The Deputy has been provided with a script detailing the facts pertinent to the school in question. I thank the Deputy for providing me with the opportunity to address the House on this matter and to outline the current position.

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