Dáil debates

Wednesday, 14 October 2020

11:30 am

Photo of Norma FoleyNorma Foley (Kerry, Fianna Fail) | Oireachtas source

I thank the Deputy. As she will be aware, under the programme for Government there is a commitment to seek to make further progress in reducing the pupil-teacher ratios in primary schools. The budgets of 2016 and 2018 improved the staffing schedule by one point on both occasions to its historically lowest level ever of one teacher to 26 pupils. I was delighted to build further on this progress yesterday by announcing a further one-point reduction in yesterday’s budget. The staffing schedule for the next academic year now stands at one teacher for every 25 pupils, which is a historically low figure in this country. This measure will help ensure better teacher retention in primary schools while also ensuring that fewer pupils are required to retain or recruit a teacher. The key factor for determining the level of staffing resources provided at individual school level is the staffing schedule for the relevant school year and pupil enrolments on the previous 30 September.

There is no change in the current school year to the staffing of the school referred to by the Deputy in the question submitted by her. The school staffing schedule for 2021-2022 will be published next year, and at that stage, schools will be able to establish their staffing arrangements for the following school year. The staffing process, as I have outlined earlier, includes an appeals mechanism where schools that might not be satisfied have an opportunity to submit a staffing appeal to independent appeals board. The published appeal criteria include the specific criteria for small schools, and schools are entitled to make such an appeal to the independent board.

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