Gay Mitchell (Dublin South Central, Fine Gael)
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Question 597: To ask the Minister for Education and Science further to Parliamentary Question No. 737 of 14 June 2005; if she will address the issues raised with an official of her Department; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [23922/05]

Mary Hanafin (Dún Laoghaire, Fianna Fail)
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The information provided by the Deputy essentially relates to the disadvantaged status of the school and the introduction of the general allocation system for children with special educational needs.

I can confirm that the school referred to by the Deputy is included in the urban dimension of my Department's Giving Children an Even Break programme aimed at combating educational disadvantage. The school receives additional financial resources to provide educational supports to be targeted at disadvantaged pupils. The action plan for educational inclusion, Delivering Equality of Opportunity in Schools, DEIS, which I launched recently provides for a standardised system for identifying levels of disadvantage and a new integrated school support programme, SSP, which will bring together and build upon, a number of existing interventions for schools with a concentrated level of disadvantage.

The action plan will be introduced on a phased basis — starting in the next school year — and will involve an additional annual investment of €40 million on full implementation. It will also involve the provision of some 300 additional posts across the education system.

A key element of this action plan is the better identification of levels of disadvantage in our schools, which will result in improved targeting of resources at those most in need. The first stage of the identification process, which is being conducted on behalf of the Department by the Educational Research Centre, is already underway. Questionnaires issued to all mainstream primary schools, including the school to which the Deputy refers and were due to be returned to the ERC by 31 May 2005. The identification process is being supported by an advisory group which includes representation from the INTO and the Irish primary principals' network. Approximately 600 primary schools comprising 300 urban, 300 rural and 150 post primary schools will be included in the school support programme. Existing schemes and programmes will be integrated into the school support programme on a phased basis over the implementation period.

As the Deputy is aware, a new general allocation scheme has been announced under which schools will be provided with resource teaching hours, based on their enrolment figures, to cater for children with high incidence special needs such as dyslexia and those with learning support needs. The introduction of this system will involve the provision of an estimated additional 340 permanent posts in primary schools from September next. A further 320 posts are being provided on a temporary basis to facilitate the transition to the new system and to ensure continuity of service for children who have previously been given an individual allocation until those children leave the primary school system.

The general allocation for the school in question is 10 part-time hours. In addition, the school may be entitled to retain part-time hours under transitional arrangements to cater for the needs of individual pupils with high incidence special needs until such time as these pupils leave the school. I can also confirm that the school's resource teaching allocation under the new scheme is based on its status as a small mixed school, that is, the first post is allocated at 105:1. Schools whose allocations are based on 80:1 are those disadvantaged schools that are specifically eligible for additional staffing under the urban dimension of the Giving Children an Even Break scheme. The school is not eligible for such additional staffing and so does not qualify for the special 80:1 ratio for resource teacher allocation. The Department has received direct correspondence from the school in question on its general allocation and this is currently being examined by my officials.