Stephen Donnelly (Wicklow, Independent)
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Question 98: To ask the Minister for Education and Skills if he will set out the changes being implemented to the general allocation model for learning support and resources teachers; if it is the case that, under these changes, a three teacher school which has an allocation of 11 resource hours will no longer be able to combine its learning support and resource allocation to create one full-time post, but instead will have those services provided by separate part time staff who will be travelling between schools; his views on a statement made to this Deputy by a local learning support resource teacher that the current system, which allows such teachers to divide their time between learning support and resource, while based full time in the one school, gives the school greater flexibility to support pupils on the ASD spectrum, as there are staff on hand if spontaneous problems arise; and if he will explain whether the changes will result in increased expenditure and time lost due to increased travel between schools for learning support teachers. [25700/12]

Ruairi Quinn (Dublin South East, Labour)
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The new arrangements for 2012/13 school year incorporate a long overdue updating of the GAM (learning support) allocation for all schools. This inevitably involves changes to existing clustering arrangements whereby a teacher is shared between schools. Shared full-time posts and travel between schools is a long standing feature of the primary system. There were a plethora of long-standing clustering arrangements in place which were not the most practical, efficient or cost effective way to allocate resources. The new arrangements I announced last December are designed to address the limitations of the current arrangements and will operate from September 2012.

Schools are being empowered to cluster and arrange their General Allocation Model resources in a manner that best suits their local needs, including in a manner that reduces travel between schools. This school led process has resulted in over 97% of the overall GAM allocation being in full-time stand-alone or shared posts. Aside from the reforms to the GAM, the allocation of resource hours for individual pupils vary from year to year. This is because of the ongoing individual assessment of pupils through the NCSE must operate on a later timescale. The new arrangements involve the allocation of a network of permanent posts in base schools and again are designed to make the system work more smoothly at school level.

All indications to date are that the new clustering arrangements being made by schools will have the desired effect on the ground. My Department will continue to work with schools and the relevant education partners to ensure that the new arrangements operate as efficiently as possible. As the process proceeds this work can take account of any appropriate local arrangements that might be made to further optimise travel arrangements.