Fergus O'Dowd (Louth, Fine Gael)
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Question 674: To ask the Tánaiste and Minister for Education and Skills the number of language support teachers that have been employed in schools for each of the past five school years; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [31185/10]

Fergus O'Dowd (Louth, Fine Gael)
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Question 675: To ask the Tánaiste and Minister for Education and Skills the number of children in receipt of language support in schools for each of the past five years; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [31186/10]

Mary Coughlan (Donegal South West, Fianna Fail)
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I propose to take Questions Nos. 674 and 675 together.

Overall, the total number of whole time equivalent Language Support posts in the current school year is 1,180 at primary level and 365 at post-primary level. The challenge for schools is to ensure that this very significant resource is used to maximum effect. The number of whole time equivalent language support posts allocated to primary and post primary schools for the past four years is as follows:

Primary Post-Primary 2005/06 563 263 2006/07 1,168 388 2007/08 1,517 479 2008/09 1,620 560

My Department's centralised record of the applications for language support for the current school year show that about 32,200 pupils at primary level and about 6,200 pupils at second level are currently benefiting from English language support in our schools. Similar information for the previous four years is held on individual school files and would take an inordinate amount of administrative time to compile.