Tony Gregory (Dublin Central, Independent)
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Question 5: To ask the Minister for Education and Science if the allocation system for resource teachers for children with special needs is weighed against small disadvantaged schools for example inner city schools; the steps she is taking to rectify same; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [39687/05]

Mary Hanafin (Dún Laoghaire, Fianna Fail)
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The general allocation of learning support-resource teachers to schools is intended to cater for children with learning support and high incidence special educational needs. Learning support-resource teacher allocations are based on pupil numbers, taking into account the differing needs of the most disadvantaged schools and the evidence that boys have greater difficulties than girls in this regard.

Disadvantaged schools eligible for additional staffing under the Giving Children an Even Break scheme have a preferential pupil-teacher allocation ratio of 80:1. Small schools have also been given preferential pupil-teacher ratios under the general allocation compared to larger schools.

The new system has several benefits associated with it, among which are that it facilitates early intervention as the resource is in place when the child enrols. It puts resources in place on a more systematic basis, thereby giving schools more certainty about their resource levels. It is also reduces the need for individual applications and supporting psychological assessments and allows flexibility to school management in the deployment of resources.

It is intended that a review of the general allocation model will be undertaken within three years of operation. While I am satisfied the general allocation system has been welcomed by the majority of schools, officials from the Department of Education and Science have recently discussed the concerns of a small number of north inner city Dublin schools with the Irish National Teachers Organisation. The school authorities are advised that they may send material that they feel supports a case for the allocation of additional special needs supports in respect of pupils with high and low-incidence special educational needs and learning support requirements to the Department. Departmental officials will consider each case on an individual basis and convey the outcome of this consideration to the relevant school authority as soon as possible thereafter.

Significant supports are made available to certain schools under disadvantaged programmes, including more favourable pupil-teacher ratios. These 15 schools enjoy exceptionally favourable pupil-teacher ratios, ranging from 6.9:1 to 14.7:1 with the average pupil-teacher ratio being 10:1.

A key element of the new action plan for educational inclusion, delivering equality of opportunity in schools, is the putting in place of a standardised system for identifying levels of disadvantage in our primary and second level schools. This is for the purposes of qualifying for resources, both human and financial, according to the degree of disadvantaged experienced. This standardised system will replace all existing arrangements for targeting schools for participation in initiatives to address disadvantage. The new action plan aims to ensure the educational needs of children and young people from disadvantaged communities are prioritised and effectively addressed and will involve an additional annual investment of €40 million on full implementation.

Tony Gregory (Dublin Central, Independent)
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Will the Minister answer the specific question? Does she accept that small disadvantaged inner city schools have a real and genuine difficulty with the current allocation of special needs teachers? I am disappointed that in recent written replies to my parliamentary questions, the Minister failed to answer which nine schools had lost special needs teachers. The INTO was able to answer the question for me in one hour. Is the Minister aware that schools serving Sheriff Street, Summerhill, Ballybough, O'Devaney Gardens and Dorset Street, areas located in the heart of drug task force areas which are by-words for disadvantage and in which school teachers, parents and children experience major difficulties, have lost special needs teachers in the past year, despite the fact the children for whom the teachers in question catered were immediately replaced by other children who are not now being catered for?

Will the Minister please consider meeting, as a group, the nine principals of the schools concerned? I am confident that if she was fully informed on this issue——

Rory O'Hanlon (Cavan-Monaghan, Ceann Comhairle)
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The Deputy should ask a question. We are running out of time.

Tony Gregory (Dublin Central, Independent)
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——and listened to people working on the front line, she would rectify the problem without waiting for any review.

Mary Hanafin (Dún Laoghaire, Fianna Fail)
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I have already met some of the principals, boards of management and other relevant individuals from some of the schools in the north inner city to which the Deputy referred.

Tony Gregory (Dublin Central, Independent)
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That is not what I asked. Will she meet the nine principals as a group?

Mary Hanafin (Dún Laoghaire, Fianna Fail)
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The Deputy stated the schools in question are losing numbers. I note these schools have pupil-teacher ratios of 10.5:1, 10:1, 8:1——

Tony Gregory (Dublin Central, Independent)
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That is irrelevant to the question.

Rory O'Hanlon (Cavan-Monaghan, Ceann Comhairle)
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Allow the Minister to continue without interruption.

Mary Hanafin (Dún Laoghaire, Fianna Fail)
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It is not irrelevant because the Deputy asked whether I accept the areas he mentioned are disadvantaged.

Tony Gregory (Dublin Central, Independent)
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The Minister is not replying to my question. She is diverting attention from it.

Mary Hanafin (Dún Laoghaire, Fianna Fail)
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The Department accepts they are disadvantaged which is the reason they have secured such high teacher-pupil ratios. Our objective is to encourage participation in the education system. The pupil-teacher ratio in one of the schools referred to is 6.9 to one. In light of the requests received, the Department asked the schools to submit details of individual cases. These have not yet been received but as soon as information is supplied by the individual schools on the children Deputy Gregory stated have joined the schools and need assistance, the schools will receive additional allocations if it is found they have children with low incidence, as is the case with other schools all over the country.

Tony Gregory (Dublin Central, Independent)
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Why did the schools in question lose teachers last year?

Rory O'Hanlon (Cavan-Monaghan, Ceann Comhairle)
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Please allow the Minister to continue without interruption.

Mary Hanafin (Dún Laoghaire, Fianna Fail)
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The Department is awaiting details from the schools and as soon as these are received——

Tony Gregory (Dublin Central, Independent)
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The Minister is over-burdening schools with bureaucracy and removing teachers.

Mary Hanafin (Dún Laoghaire, Fianna Fail)
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All the Department is asking for is details from the schools regarding who the children are and what they need. That information has not been received and as soon as it comes——

Tony Gregory (Dublin Central, Independent)
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All I am asking is that the Minister meet the principals.

Mary Hanafin (Dún Laoghaire, Fianna Fail)
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I have met some of the relevant principals already.