Dara Calleary (Mayo, Fianna Fail)
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Question 162: To ask the Minister for Education and Skills, further to Parliamentary Question No. 156 of 17 May 2011, the schools across the country that received alleviation or adjustment measures under this measure. [20770/11]

Ruairi Quinn (Dublin South East, Labour)
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The Deputy is aware that Resource Teacher for Traveller posts-Teaching Hours for Traveller pupils will be withdrawn, effective from 31st August 2011.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 have been provided to assist schools which have high concentrations of Traveller pupils who were previously supported by Resource Teacher for Travellers (RTT) posts.

In respect of primary schools with DEIS (Delivering Equality of Opportunity in Schools) status, Traveller enrolments have now been included in the valid enrolment for the purpose of allocating additional staffing under DEIS from the 2011-2012 school year. For schools other than DEIS schools in receipt of enhanced pupil teacher ratios, alleviation measures have been provided to assist schools with high concentrations of Traveller pupils who were previously supported by RTT posts. These measures were considered in the context of the limited resources available to my Department. As such, alleviation measures have been concentrated on schools which have 33 or more pupils supported by RTT posts.

A decision was also taken that further limited additional alleviation measures would be made available for schools that may have been disproportionately affected by the earlier alleviation adjustment measures, in comparison to schools of a similar size and in the context of the very limited resources available to my Department.

The decision to withdraw Resource Teacher for Travellers was taken by the previous Government in 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.

I have arranged for the details sought by the Deputy to be forwarded directly to him.