Jan O'Sullivan (Limerick City, Labour) | Oireachtas source

The staffing in the school referred to by the Deputy has reduced from 22 teachers to 20 teachers. This was due to a reduction in the overall enrolments in the school and a reduction in the number of eligible pupils in the school for English language support. A teacher in the school who had an assistant principal allowance retired. While this teacher was replaced for the purposes of teaching duties, the school did not qualify under the Department's alleviation arrangements to have an assistant principal allowance assigned to another teacher. These alleviation arrangements at primary level are limited and are targeted at schools that have lost at least three assistant principal posts. It is important to recognise that this school as a DEIS band 1 school continues to receive enhanced staffing and grants from my Department. In the current school year the ratio of pupils to teachers is about 15:1 in DEIS band 1 schools.

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