Jim O'Callaghan (Dublin Bay South, Fianna Fail)
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319. To ask the Minister for Education and Skills the estimated cost of expanding the support teacher model to include five more schools. [42411/24]

Norma Foley (Kerry, Fianna Fail)
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The Support Teacher Project was established by my Department in 1995 in a number of DEIS primary schools. Support Teacher posts are assigned to assist in supporting pupils with behaviours of concern.

Its primary purpose, at the time of establishment, was to support the holistic development of pupils who may exhibit disruptive behaviours or who are withdrawn from their peers while promoting measures to reduce the impact of their behaviour on their own education and that of their peers.

Currently, 39 DEIS primary schools have access to the project, with individual schools managing these posts.

A review of the project by the Departments Inspectorate, was published in 2020.

The 2024 average salary costs (inc. Employer PRSI) for a primary teacher is :

Primary Teacher

• Excluding Employer PRSI: €65,670
• Including Employer PRSI: €72,090