Bernard Durkan (Kildare North, Fine Gael)
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Question 189: To ask the Minister for Education and Science the number of extra teachers at primary and second level likely to be appointed in the current year; the way in which this is expected to affect pupil-teacher ratios; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [3289/05]

Mary Hanafin (Dún Laoghaire, Fianna Fail)
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The mainstream staffing of a primary school is determined by applying the enrolment of the school on 30 September of the previous school year to a staffing schedule agreed between my Department and the education partners. The process of allocating disadvantaged posts to primary schools takes place once the mainstream staffing schedule has been finalised. My Department will finalise the staffing schedule for primary schools for the 2005-06 school year shortly and thereafter notify school boards of management. Until this process is complete, it is not possible to determine the number of mainstream posts and, consequently, disadvantaged posts to be allocated to primary schools for the 2005-06 school year.

With effect from January 2005, the National Council for Special Education takes over responsibility for processing applications for resource teaching support for pupils at primary level with low incidence special educational needs on an assessed needs basis. I am having the revised model of resource teaching allocation for pupils with high incidence special educational needs and learning difficulties and delays reviewed. Pending completion of the processing of the applications and the review, it is not possible to determine the number of additional special needs teachers to be allocated to primary schools this year.

My Department recently issued the initial teacher allocation for the school year 2005-06 to all post-primary schools. Applications may now be submitted by schools for additional teaching support to meet short term curricular difficulties, the needs of non-national pupils and the needs of Traveller pupils. In addition, the NCSE will process applications for additional teaching hours for children with special educational needs. Until these processes are complete, it will not be possible to determine the number of posts to be allocated to post-primary schools for the 2005-06 school year.