Brian Hayes (Dublin South West, Fine Gael)
Link to this: Individually | In context

Question 259: To ask the Minister for Education and Science if he will quantify the savings which will be made by capping the number of language support teachers to two per school; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [45736/08]

Batt O'Keeffe (Cork North West, Fianna Fail)
Link to this: Individually | In context

My Department's budget for next year has been prepared on the same fundamental basis as any other year by estimating the number of teachers that will be employed under the different categories given the policies in place, for example, mainstream classroom teachers, special needs and language support teachers and allowing for any change in overall demographics.

Specifically in relation to language support teachers the budget measures will mean that the level of language support will be reduced from a maximum of six extra teachers per school to a maximum of two teachers per school, as was the case before 2007. The full year saving is estimated at €6 million for every 100 teaching posts saved. My Department's estimate for the yield from the capping of language support posts is of the order of 350 posts saving up to €22 million in a full year. Apart from this policy change the ongoing requirement for current levels of language support teachers in schools should also start to reduce in line with lower levels of immigration and in line with improvements in the levels of proficiency of those pupils for whom this resource has been available.

The Deputy will appreciate that while the measure will only yield a portion of that saving in 2009 it is the full year that is most relevant given that the Government strategy is to manage the correction needed in the public finances over the coming years as distinct from the 2009 position alone.

Nonetheless, schools that require language support will still be entitled to get it. We still envisage having over 1,400 language support teachers in our schools in September 2009 and up to about 500 other teachers in part-time posts. By any standards this is a very significant resource and the challenge will be to ensure that it is used to maximum effect.

As I announced on budget day we will also provide for some alleviation for the position of those schools where there is a significant concentration of newcomer pupils as a proportion of the overall enrolment. This will be done on a case by case basis.

The allocation process for language support teachers is an annual one and existing provision is not rolled over automatically. Schools will be applying afresh in the spring and early summer of 2009 for the 2009/10 school year, based on their assessment of the prospective needs of existing pupils still in the school that need support and any new pupils that they are enrolling.