Billy Kelleher (Cork North Central, Fianna Fail)
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Question 1715: To ask the Minister for Education and Science the number of extra teachers she will recruit for national schools in 2007 and 2008; if she envisages more national school teacher training places being provided; if so, the breakdown of the increased places in the various teacher training colleges; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [2738/07]

Mary Hanafin (Dún Laoghaire, Fianna Fail)
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The 2007 Estimates include provision for another 800 primary teachers for the 2007/2008 school year. About 500 of these will be classroom teachers, which includes our commitment to reduce class sizes.

I assure the Deputy that we will continue to prioritise further improvements in school staffing going forward. We will also continue our focus on measures to improve the quality of education in our primary schools to ensure that increased resources lead to better outcomes for our children.

There will be approximately 1,280 graduates from the Colleges of Education and it is also estimated that there will be circa 400 graduates from the Hibernia College in 2007. The level of student intake to the Colleges of Education is determined annually by my Department and it takes account of the supply of, and demand for, primary teachers while also having regard to available resources. The demand for primary teachers is influenced by a number of factors including: the application of the agreed staffing schedule; demographic trends; the number of teachers opting to take career breaks; the number of secondments approved; and the age at which teachers opt to retire on a voluntary basis. The creation of additional posts in a particular school year and the retention of posts arising from the allocation of the demographic dividend also affect the demand for teachers. It is considered necessary for my Department to regulate the intake to the colleges as they are fully funded by the taxpayer. Finally, my Department does not have authority to regulate the intake of students to private institutions.