Enda Kenny (Mayo, Fine Gael)
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Question 222: To ask the Minister for Education and Science if the two teacher rule and the two year rule no longer apply from 26 January 2007 as outlined in her reply to Parliamentary Question No. 497 of 27 February 2007; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [10966/07]

Mary Hanafin (Dún Laoghaire, Fianna Fail)
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I recently announced the schools that are to benefit from the 200 extra language support posts provided for in the 2007 Estimates. These extra 200 posts will bring the total number of language support teachers in our schools to 1,450. These new resources are intended for schools with large numbers of pupils who do not have English as a first language. Under the revised arrangements, depending on the number of eligible pupils enrolled, schools may now have up to six language support teachers.

The additional 200 teachers are part of the Government's commitment in Towards 2016 to provide an extra 550 language support teachers by 2009 and to reform the limit of two teachers per school. It is intended that a further 350 language support teachers will be provided between 2008 and 2009. Under current arrangements, the additional language support to an individual pupil is generally given for a period of two years. However, it is accepted that children have different levels of language and different levels of aptitude for language learning.

In order to ensure that schools can accurately and objectively assess the language requirement of children, my Department will be sending to primary schools assessment materials that have been developed by Integrate Ireland Language and Training, IILT. The assessment materials will enable schools to ensure that the specific language requirements of children needing support are met in a targeted way. The IILT materials will also enable accurate initial and ongoing assessment of the language proficiency of the child and his or her need for continued language support.

The deployment of language resource teachers will depend on the specific needs of the pupils and this is left to the discretion of the school authorities.