Remedial teacher posts are allocated on the basis of priority of need and subject to resource availability. There is no automatic entitlement to such posts on reaching a particular enrolment number.
I am not in a position at present to allocate additional remedial teachers to primary schools.
Since my appointment as Minister for Education, I have allocated an additional 241 remedial teachers to the primary sector. A total of 1,188 remedial teachers are now in place and the percentage of pupils who have access to a remedial service has increased from 77 per cent to 87 per cent.
I consider that the substantial improvements which I have already achieved in this area provide practical confirmation of my commitment to the needs of the children in question.
However, as Minister for Education, I have to consider how best to deploy available resources across a wider range of special needs. I have to determine priorities and try to allocate resources to best effect.