Emmet Stagg (Kildare North, Labour)
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To ask the Minister for Education and Skills the reason for the delay in issuing a substantive response to representations (details supplied). [45101/12]

Ruairi Quinn (Dublin South East, Labour)
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Further to the Deputy's question, the situation regarding the challenges involved in the teaching and learning of Mathematics and their consideration in my Department were outlined in this House and in subsequent correspondence. By way of update on the information provided at that time, I would like to inform the Deputy that the postgraduate course for 'out of field' teachers of mathematics is now in place. My colleague Minister Sherlock has recently launched the Professional Diploma in Mathematics for Teaching, a blended learning, two year part-time programme, available nationwide free of charge, at a cost of approximately €2 million in 2012, to improve the skills of maths teachers at post-primary level.

Provision of the course is led by the National Centre for Excellence in Mathematics and Science Teaching & Learning (NCE-MSTL), based in the University of Limerick (UL), and will be accredited jointly by the UL and NUI Galway through their strategic alliance. 390 places were made available for the first intake and at least two further intakes are proposed.