Brian O'Shea (Waterford, Labour)
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Question 133: To ask the Minister for Education and Science her proposals to provide assistance to Gaeltacht national schools; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [21272/07]

Mary Hanafin (Dún Laoghaire, Fianna Fail)
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I presume that the Deputy is referring to the staffing in Gaeltacht schools. 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 which is issued annually to all primary schools. I am aware of the unique position of primary schools situated in Gaeltacht areas and of the particular problems that they experience as a result of losing teaching posts. Under current arrangements the enrolment figure required for the appointment of a mainstream class teacher in a Gaeltacht school is the same as that which applies in the case of an ordinary primary school. However the figure required for the retention of a mainstream class teacher in a Gaeltacht school is lower in the case of posts from the 3rd to the 10th mainstream teacher, relative to ordinary primary schools. This retention policy has applied to Gaeltacht schools since the 1999/2000 school year. Gaeltacht schools operate under the same criteria that applies to ordinary schools for all other staffing within a primary school. Allowances are paid to teachers in primary schools in the Gaeltacht in respect of teaching through the medium of Irish.