Joe Costello (Dublin Central, Labour)
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Question 511: To ask the Minister for Education and Science the number of pupils from the ten accession countries since 2004 who enrolled in primary schools, second level schools and third level schools; the number of asylum seekers and refugees enrolled at each of the three levels; the number of extra teachers employed to cater for the extra pupils at each of the three levels; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [32665/06]

Mary Hanafin (Dún Laoghaire, Fianna Fail)
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The latest figures available to my Department indicate that there are in excess of 22,000 children of immigrants enrolled at primary level and in excess of 12,000 at post-primary level. My Department does not keep statistics relating to the residency status of the parents of these children. Figures are not available at third-level.

In order to ensure that children who do not have English or Irish as a first language are not at a disadvantage in educational terms, my Department gives additional support to schools which can take the form of financial assistance, additional temporary teacher posts or portions of teacher posts.

The level of extra financial or teaching support provided to any school is determined by the numbers of non-English speaking students enrolled. In the school year 2005/06, 562 whole-time equivalent language support teachers were in place at primary level and 262 whole-time equivalent teachers were in place at second level to support such pupils, representing an investment of €46.5 million. This compares to 149 and 113 teachers respectively in the school year 2001/02.