Batt O'Keeffe (Cork North West, Fianna Fail)

Ultimately, having a working redeployment scheme at post-primary is about bringing about a situation where schools are treated on an equitable basis across the second level system, each school has the number of teachers it is entitled to and no one school is being disadvantaged while another is substantially over quota.

The dynamics of the teacher allocation process are more complex at post-primary level and even with an effective redeployment scheme, the adjustment being made will take more than one year to have the full effect. In terms of the overall impact on teacher numbers at post-primary, that is why our estimate is for a net 200 teachers fewer in the system in September 2009 when posts that will be withdrawn are balanced against new posts that will be created.

My Department has made clear, when asked, that the changes in the staffing ratio for post-primary schools could produce a further decrease in teaching posts over a number of years. However, in net terms it is likely that this would be offset by increased teaching post numbers due to increasing enrolments and growth in provision for children with special educational needs into the future.

I have made the point that the choices that had to be made were difficult. For example, if I had not suspended for the moment the substitution cover for short-term sick leave and school business I would have had to make more significant changes to the staffing schedule.

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