Written Answers. - Parliamentary Debates - Houses of the Oireachtas

483 Questions— 22 February 2005. Written Answers 484[Ms Hanafin.]in the school including resource teachers, hasfallen from 22.2:1 in the 1996-97 school year to17.44:1 in 2003-’04. Over 4,000 additionalteachers have been employed in our primaryschools since 1997. These additional teachingposts have been used to reduce class sizes, totackle educational disadvantage and to provideadditional resources for children with specialneeds.Significantly smaller class sizes have beenintroduced in disadvantaged schools involved inthe Giving Children an Even Break — Breakingthe Cycle programme, with approximately 47,700pupils in 243 participating schools availing ofreduced class sizes of either 15 or 20 pupils perclass. In line with An Agreed Programme forGovernment commitment, class sizes for theunder-nines will continue to be reduced further.Educational Projects.335. Mr. Gormley asked the Minister for Educationand Science the funds given to communitygroups in the Dublin South-East area for afterschoolprojects; and if she will make a statementon the matter. [5841/05]336. Mr. Gormley asked the Minister for Educationand Science the course of action whichcommunity groups can pursue if they have notspent money received from her Department; andif she will make a statement on the matter.[5842/05]Minister for Education and Science (MsHanafin): I propose to take Questions Nos. 335and 336 together.While my Department does not operate a specificnational scheme for the provision of afterschoolprojects, it supports a range of programmeswhich target additional resources atpupils from educationally disadvantaged backgroundsin order to facilitate their full participationin the education system.Eighty-two projects, 112 post-primary schoolsand 300 primary schools, participate in the schoolcompletion programme, which aims to developlocal strategies to ensure maximum participationlevels in the education process. It entails targetingindividual young people of school going age, bothin and out of school, and arranging supports toaddress inequalities in education access, participationand outcomes. Each project site mustdevise a collaborative programme of in-schooland out-of-school actions, which provide afterschool,holiday time, home, family and communitysupports to enhance the young person’sreadiness to benefit from education. There aretwo school completion programme clusters servingschools in south-east Dublin. These clusters,comprising three post-primary and seven primaryschools, have received an allocation in excess of\400,000 in 2004-05.My Department also provides funding forhomework clubs in disadvantaged areas underthe fund for the development of targetedresponses to certain children at risk. This fund isthe responsibility of my colleague, the Ministerof State, Deputy Brian Lenihan. Its purpose is todevelop preventative and supportive programmestargeted at children and young people who are atrisk of educational disadvantage and socialexclusion. Under this fund, three projects arebeing supported in Dublin South East in 2005.These projects, including the Life Centre inPearse Street and the Rathmines Information andCommunity Services Centre, have received combinedfunding in excess of \70,000 in 2004-05. Itis a general requirement that projects supportedunder the above-named programmes spend theirallocation within the relevant calendar or schoolyear. In cases where a particular group does notexhaust its full allocation within the prescribedtimeframe, this will be taken into account by myDepartment in determining the level of supportrequired by the project in the following year. Ifthe Deputy has any queries regarding particularprojects, I will arrange for a direct response toissue if relevant details are forwarded to myDepartment.Property Transfers.337. Mr. Gormley asked the Minister for Educationand Science if her Department owns anyof the school property in the Dublin South-Eastarea; the schools to which this applies; and if shewill make a statement on the matter. [5843/05]Minister for Education and Science (MsHanafin): There are different management andownership structures for voluntary secondaryschools, vocational schools, community colleges,community and comprehensive schools and primaryschools. In general, voluntary secondaryschools are privately owned and managed institutions,whereas all community and comprehensiveschools are vested in the Minister for Educationand Science. Vocational schools andcommunity colleges are public schools owned andmanaged by vocational education committeeswho are responsible for the day-to-day running ofthese schools and colleges.The vast majority of denominational and multidenominationalprimary schools are owned bythe relevant patron. The sites and school buildingsprovided for Gaelscoileanna are vested inthe Minister for Education and Science.Since 1999, the State offers to provide the fullcost of sites for all new schools at both primaryand second level. Where the State bears the costof the site purchase new school buildings providedon these sites would be vested in the Ministerand leased to the school operator.If the Deputy wishes to identify a particularschool property I will arrange to have the ownershipdetails made available to him.School Staffing.338. Mr. J. O’Keeffe asked the Minister for