Timmy Dooley (Clare, Fianna Fail)
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Question 55: To ask the Minister for Education and Skills the position regarding the proposed suppression of a resource teacher for Travellers at a primary school (details supplied) in County Clare. [11028/11]

Ruairi Quinn (Dublin South East, Labour)
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I wish to advise the Deputy that the decision to withdraw Resource Teacher for Travellers was taken by the previous Government as part of the last Budget. The requirement to make expenditure savings and to ensure that staffing numbers remain within the Public Service Employment Control Framework prevent me from re-visiting this decision.

Resource Teacher for Traveller posts/Teaching Hours for Traveller pupils will be withdrawn, effective from 31st August 2011. Traveller pupils who are eligible for learning support teaching should receive this tuition through the existing learning support provision in schools. All schools should select students for learning support on the basis of priority of need.

Limited alleviation or adjustment measures are being provided to assist schools that have high concentrations of Traveller pupils who were previously supported by Resource Teachers for Travellers.

In respect of DEIS, (Developing Equality of Opportunity in Schools), Traveller enrolments have been included in the valid enrolment for the purpose of allocating additional staffing under DEIS from the 2011/12 school year. The schools involved have already received their staffing allocations for next year.

For schools other than DEIS schools in receipt of enhanced pupil teacher ratios, alleviation measures are being provided to assist schools with high concentrations of Traveller pupils who were previously supported by RTT posts. Any alleviation measures must be considered in the context of the limited resources that are available to my Department. As such, alleviation measures are being concentrated on schools which had 33 or more pupils supported by RTT posts, based on 2009/10 school year enrolments.

Michael McGrath (Cork South Central, Fianna Fail)
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Question 56: To ask the Minister for Education and Skills his views on the substance of a matter raised in correspondence (details supplied) with him and which was initially acknowledged in correspondence by his Department. [11036/11]

Ruairi Quinn (Dublin South East, Labour)
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The main focus of the Teacher Allocation Section within my Department, is the allocation process for the 2011/12 school year and the redeployment of surplus permanent teachers into vacancies.

My Department will then be working on supplementary panels for fixed-term teachers and will recognise as appropriate, substitute service. In this context, the teacher referred to by the Deputy has been advised accordingly.