Michael Healy-Rae (Kerry, Independent)
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320. To ask the Minister for Education and Skills her views on a matter in relation to EAL hours (details supplied); and if she will make a statement on the matter. [60775/22]

Norma Foley (Kerry, Fianna Fail)
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The staffing arrangements for primary and post primary schools for the 2022/23 school year are set out in Circular 0025/2022 (primary) and Circulars 0022/2022, 0023/2022 and 0024/2022 (post primary), and are available on the Department website.

The Special Education Teaching allocation, as outlined in Circular 0020/2022, (primary schools) and 0021/2022 (post primary schools) provides a single unified allocation for special educational support teaching needs to each school, based on each school’s educational profile and also encompasses the Language Support (EAL) allocation that schools were allocated in previous years.

All schools are advised in the first instance to review whether the needs of newly enrolled pupils can be met from within existing allocations.

In addition, the Department provides specific English Language support to schools with pupils newly arrived into the country that have English as an additional language. There has been no reduction in the level of support provided to these schools where the children remain enrolled in the school.