Jonathan O'Brien (Cork North Central, Sinn Fein)
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144. To ask the Minister for Education and Skills her plans to hold an inquiry into the schools using resource hours for administrative duties; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [33937/15]

Jan O'Sullivan (Limerick City, Labour)
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My Department has put in place a range of teaching supports for children with special educational needs in mainstream schools, with over 11,000 additional teaching posts provided for such purposes.

My Department's guidelines are clear that schools must utilise all of these additional teaching hours to support pupils with special education or learning support needs.

I am not aware of widespread misuse of resource teaching hours by schools and have not received any notification in relation to these matters from persons identified in a recent media report. However, I am certainly concerned by these reports.

I have asked officials in my Department to seek details of the reported allegations from the Solicitors concerned and will work with any school where there is evidence of inappropriate deployment of teaching resources to ensure the matter is rectified.

If information is provided to my Department indicating wrongdoing, it will be acted upon.