asked the Minister for Education his plans in respect of the placing and appointing of the extra teachers and support staff, with emphasis as to the type of school he favours and allied matters.

The estimated additional teacher posts may be considered to be distributed as follows:

As regards support staff for the schools, provision has been made for the expenditure of £1,200,000 in connection with clerical assistance in primary and secondary schools. A circular in relation to the matter will be issued shortly to the school authorities. It would be inappropriate for me in the meantime to give details of the proposed provisions of the scheme.

Provision has also been made for the employment of about 220 extra staff by vocational education committees at a cost of £800 approximately.

Does the Minister agree that in placing this support staff it would be important to ensure that as much administrative work as possible is taken from the shoulders of teachers in order to allow them to pursue their teaching? Could he explain how the support staff will be directed within schools?

I am providing seven technicians, two craft assistants, one library assistant, 15 caretakers, 34 cleaners, nine attendants, one grounds-man, one watchman, one labourer and two tradesmen in vocational schools. In regional technical colleges I am providing four assistant librarians, four library assistants, one senior clerk, three clerical officers, ten clerk typists, one telephonist, 18 technicians, 17 craft assistants, six caretakers, 23 attendants, two porters, three storemen, one maintenance supervisor, one mechanic, one groundsman and one cleaner.

Four-and-twenty black-birds.

And Uncle Tomás Ó Cobley agus eile.

Could the Minister be more specific in relation to secretarial work in schools? This aspect requires a lot of man-hours. Could the Minister indicate how this problem will be tackled?

As I said in my reply, the actual details will be worked out and we will give the information to the Deputy as soon as possible. Everybody will get a copy.

Will the introduction of the extra teachers affect the pupil-teacher ratio officially? I emphasise the word "officially".

Yes.

I know it will affect the ratio in practice.

It must affect it if I add 300 extra teachers to those who retire, plus 300 graduates. That makes 600 and this must have an affect on the pupil-teacher ratio.

I appreciate that it will have an impact in practice but I visualise the question in the future about the pupil-teacher ratio. Will the Minister include these extra teachers in giving the figures in reply to such a question?

I think I explained that fairly carefully to the Deputy. Catering for retirement and increased numbers I will still have 600 people and that is bound to affect the sum when one divides a greater number of teachers into the number of pupils.

Is the Minister then including the extra teachers?

Naturally.