asked the Minister for Education the specific proposals, if any, he has to mark the International Year of the Child.

The International Year of the Child will be marked in my Department in the following ways: (a) the introduction and implementation of a special curriculum into schools for moderately mentally handicapped children, and the reduction of the pupil-teacher ratio in these schools; (b) the creation of 100 additional teaching posts to provide remedial instruction for children with learning difficulties; (c) the publication of a booklet for parents of school-going children; (d) the preparation of curriculum materials related to the teaching of language and mathematics in schools for disadvantaged children; (e) the organisation of a project designed to forge links between schools in Ireland and schools in the Third World; (f) the sponsoring of a public lecture dealing with an aspect of children's literature in Ireland; (g) cooperating on projects initiated by other Departments and non-governmental agencies.

How many of these projects were decided on independently and how many were decided on specifically in relation to the International Year of the Child?

I should think that the vast majority, if not all, were specifically thought of in the context of the International Year of the Child.