Dara Murphy (Cork North Central, Fine Gael) | Oireachtas source

I thank Deputies Aengus Ó Snodaigh, Bríd Smith and Joan Collins for raising the issue of the staffing of Assumption girls' school in Walkinstown and acknowledge that there are difficult issues involved. I know that in schools in my constituency and that of Deputy Jonathan O'Brien there is often a difficulty, particularly in areas with a high density of DEIS schools. Schools can have similar issues and not be designated as DEIS schools. I know, in particular, of the great work being done by parents' committees working in conjunction with school authorities.

The criteria used in the allocation of teaching posts are published annually and the key factor in determining the level of staffing resources provided in individual schools is the staffing schedule for the relevant school year and pupil enrolment, as the House will be aware, on 30 September of the previous year. The staffing schedule is an objective and transparent method in treating all schools equally in the allocation of classroom teachers. In budget 2016 a one point improvement in the primary staffing schedule was announced. This reduced the average pupil-teacher ratio to 27:1. The revised and improved staffing schedule and the circular outlining the staffing arrangements for schools are also available on the Department's website.

The new arrangements have been implemented for the 2016-17 school year. Prior to this year, classroom teachers were allocated to primary schools on the basis of an average pupil-teacher ratio of 28:1. The staffing arrangements also include the provision whereby schools experiencing rapid increases in enrolment can apply for additional permanent mainstream posts on developing grounds, using projected enrolment for the following September, in this case September 2016.

The school referred to by the Deputies was initially due, in accordance with the published staffing arrangements for the 2016-17 school year, to have seven classroom teachers based on its September 2015 enrolment of 182 pupils. The school applied for developing school status on the basis of a projected enrolment of 234 pupils for September 2016. On the basis of the projected enrolment, the school was granted approval for two developing posts on a provisional basis. These posts were approved up to 28 October, pending confirmation of the required enrolment achieved on 30 September 2016. The school achieved an actual enrolment of 228 on 30 September 2016. This enrolment is sufficient for the retention of one of the developing posts. As a result, the school will have a mainstream staffing of eight classroom teachers for the 2016-17 school year. As set out in the staffing arrangements, the second developing post which was provisionally approved pending confirmation of actual enrolments is, as the Deputies noted, due to be suppressed on 28 October 2016.

The staffing arrangements also provide for an appeals mechanism for schools to submit an appeal under certain criteria to an independent appeals board. The school submitted an appeal to the October meeting of the primary staffing appeals board. A school must demonstrate to the appeals board’s satisfaction the reasons an additional teaching post is warranted under criteria outlined in Circular 007/2016. Decisions are made by the appeals board on the basis of the information provided by the school. The primary staffing appeals board considered the appeal made by the school and was satisfied that the appeal put forward by the school did not unfortunately warrant a second teaching post in accordance with Circular 007/2016. The board of management of the school has been notified in this regard.

The primary staffing appeals board operates independently of the Minister for Education and Skills and its decision is final.

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