Noel Dempsey (Meath, Fianna Fail)
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In addition to funding a number of national support services, for example in the areas of curricular reform and special needs, my Department supports a wide range of continuing professional development programmes provided by a network of education centres at local level for personnel working in primary and post-primary schools. In this regard the in-career development unit of my Department funds 21 full-time education centres and nine part-time centres to deliver this service.

In the past the unit also provided limited financial support to a range of other course providers-organisers for other elective programmes of in-service, to the extent that resouces permitted having regard to other commitments and priorities. This included direct support to the school chaplins association and to schools which applied to my Department rather than to their local education centre.

In order to rationalise matters and to make the best use of available resources, direct support to schools and other bodies and groups is no longer being made by my Department. Schools and others are advised to contact their local education centre, whose role it is to provide local inservice and support, advice and assistance to schools and their personnel in these matters. This approach will help avoid duplication and make the best use of available resources.