Ciarán Cannon (Galway East, Fine Gael)

I am taking this topical issues debate on behalf of my colleague, the Minister for Education and Skills, Deputy Quinn. I thank Deputy Ferris for raising the matter as it affords me the opportunity to explain to the House the reasoning behind the changes to the staffing schedule.

Schools in Gaeltacht areas historically have operated the same staffing schedule as ordinary schools for the creation of a classroom teaching post at primary level. However, a slightly more favourable schedule operated for the Gaeltacht schools to retain a post between the bands of four and 12 classroom teachers. There was no increase in the budget in the general average of a pupil-teacher ratio of 28:1 used to allocate teachers to primary schools, including Gaeltacht schools, and this is something for which many people across the education sector had called. However, the budget did include a phased increase in the pupil threshold for the allocation of classroom teachers in small primary schools.

The only thing that is changing for small schools is that their average class sizes will no longer be as advantageous as they have been in the past due to the phased increases in the pupil thresholds in the staffing schedule. I am aware that some schools claim they will have more pupils in the school next September than they had last September and that some allowance should be made in such a situation. The existing staffing appeals process can be accessed by those schools that are projecting increased enrolment that would be sufficient to allow them to retain their existing classroom posts over the longer term. Details of this appeals process and how it will operate will be made clear as part of my Department's forthcoming circular. It will issue shortly to all schools on the staffing arrangements for the 2012-13 school year.

Even when all of the phased increases are implemented, the threshold for a second teacher at 20 pupils still will be significantly lower than the minimum of 28 pupils that was required for the appointment of a second teacher in rural schools prior to the late 1990s. I stress strongly that school communities should have no reason to feel there will be a forced closure or a forced amalgamation of their local schools. Rural communities, including those in the Gaeltacht, represent a cornerstone of Irish heritage and the schools in rural Ireland are in turn the cornerstone of these communities.

Achieving savings in my Department's budget has required the making of some very difficult decisions at a time when the school-going population is increasing. We want to be as fair as possible in making such decisions. One third of all public sector employees in this State work in the education sector. It is simply not possible, therefore, to completely exempt staffing levels in education from the Government's need to reduce expenditure. I have trust and confidence in the capacity of school principals and teachers to play their part in making the best use of their available resources in order to achieve the best possible educational outcomes for pupils.

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