Sir, - One of the Dublin communities most devastated by heroin is St Michael's Estate in Inchicore. The local national school, St Michael's CBS, has been told by the Department of Education and Science that it has two pupils fewer than the required number to retain its present teaching staff.

The school principal, Mr Tom Mullins, in a letter to Mr Eoin Ryan TD (the Minister with responsibility for drugs), states: "We find it appalling that in spite of all the work we have put in and the huge level of need that all are now acknowledging is in the area, because our roll numbers are down by just two pupils we must now lose a teacher".

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