Disadvantaged winners with extra €740m

CHILDREN with special needs, living in disadvantaged areas or from non-English speaking backgrounds will be the big winners from the extra €740 million secured for next year’s spending by the Department of Education.

The €8.4 billion 2007 spending estimate announced by education minister Mary Hanafin is three times the department’s 1997 Budget, and almost half of next year’s increase — €355m — will fund additional pay.

It will help provide an extra 800 primary teachers, including 200 already announced a year ago to reduce primary class sizes.