Finian McGrath (Dublin North Central, Independent)
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Question 1165: To ask the Minister for Education and Science if she will give the maximum support to a school (details supplied) in Dublin 5. [25070/05]

Mary Hanafin (Dún Laoghaire, Fianna Fail)
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Teacher allocations to second level schools are approved annually by my Department in accordance with established rules based on recognised pupil enrolment. Each school management authority is required to organise its teaching timetable and subject options having regard to pupils needs within the limit of its approved teacher allocation. The rules for allocating teaching resources provide that where a school management authority is unable to meet its curricular commitments, my Department will consider applications for additional short-term support. An independent appeals mechanism is available to school authorities who wish to appeal the adequacy of their teacher allocation.

The school in question applied for a curricular concession allocation and was allocated 1.45 whole-time equivalent teacher posts. The school was notified of this allocation on 14 April 2005 and advised that, in the event of its not being satisfied with this allocation, it could appeal in writing to the independent appeals committee. To date, the school has not availed of the independent appeals mechanism.

The National Council for Special Education, NCSE, has been established as an independent statutory body with responsibilities as set out in the National Council for Special Education (Establishment) Order 2003. Since 1 January 2005, the NCSE, through local special educational needs organisers, SENOs, has responsibility for processing resource applications for pupils with special educational needs. Where a pupil with special educational needs enrols in a post-primary school, it is open to the school to apply to the local SENO for additional teaching support and/or special needs assistant support for the pupil. The school referred to by the Deputy has been allocated 13.66 hours per week additional teaching support to address the special educational needs of pupils attending the school.

The school has applied for capital grant aid for a new PE hall. This application has been assessed in accordance with the published criteria for prioritising large-scale building projects and its progress will be considered in the context of the schools building and modernisation programme from 2006 onwards.