asked the Minister for Education the number of secondary teachers given a sabbatical year over each of the past five years, to enable them to pursue post-graduate courses.

The number of secondary school teachers given leave of absence with pay to enable them to pursue post-graduate courses in the past five school years was as follows: 1974-75, 93; 1975-76, 68; 1976-77, 39; 1977-78, 33; 1978-79, 28.

Would the Minister be inclined to recommend or to lend his approval to teachers taking these courses and being given a sabbatical year for the purpose?

Yes, it is a continuing process.

Then how does the Minister explain the fact that the numbers have gone down each year?

That is easy to explain. At one time there were two courses available—one at UCD and the other at the Mater Dei Institute. The course at the Mater Dei Institute was discontinued in 1975-1976 and the Deputy will notice that was when the graph took a deep dip. The Deputy will be glad to know that this year University College intend to increase the intake to 50 but not all of those places are given to teachers. We expect an increase but I do not know if they will all be teachers.

Will the Minister say if this valuable permission in respect of leave of absence with pay to attend a course is given in relation only to specified courses that are approved by the Department? What are the criteria by which the teachers are chosen?

As I said, there were two courses up to 1975-1976—the course in UCD and the course at the Mater Dei Institute. Now there is only one course at UCD.

Am I right in assuming that if a teacher is accepted for a place on the course he automatically gets a sabbatical year from the Department?

Generally the procedure is that the school decide that they want a career guidance teacher and the management board or the VEC approve of the absence. Then an application is made to the Department.

Is the Minister stating that only one course is approved and that if a teacher wants to undertake a post-graduate course in say, French this will not be approved? Is that the case?

We are talking only about a specific course in career guidance.

The question does not say that. There is nothing about career guidance in the question. Where did the Minister get career guidance from? Is the Minister saying that permission will not be given for anything else?

I did not say that.

Will the Minister tell the House if permission is given for other post-graduate courses?

I should prefer if the Deputy gave me a chance to check that. I know that occasionally leave is given but as far as I remember leave with pay is mainly in respect of the career guidance courses.

The whole tenor of the Minister's reply was that it was in respect of only one course that leave was given, namely, career guidance. Does the Minister not consider it desirable that leave with pay be given for other post-graduate courses to enable teachers to improve their competence in all areas of teaching?

I understand from the word "sabbatical" that it carries with it the implication that the salary is paid while the teacher is doing the course. As of now the sabbatical year applies to career guidance teachers.

Will the Minister look into extending it to other subjects?

I will also have to look into the pocket of the Minister for Finance.

Extract it from him.

There is no shortage there.