Charlie McConalogue (Donegal North East, Fianna Fail)
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99. To ask the Minister for Education and Skills the number of primary schools from the September 2013 returns on pupil numbers that fall into the following categories: schools with 85 pupils, 54 or 55 pupils, and 17 to 19 pupils; the number of schools in the September 2013 pupil returns that are in each of the categories 81 to 84 pupils, 49 to 53 pupils, and 12 to 16 pupils, and therefore already subject to increases in pupil-teacher thresholds introduced by him; when he will publish the full details of the September 2013 pupil returns; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [9361/14]

Charlie McConalogue (Donegal North East, Fianna Fail)
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I ask the Minister for Education and Skills the number of primary schools according to the September 2013 returns falling into the following categories: schools with 85 pupils, 54 or 55 pupils, and 17 to 19 pupils; and the number of schools in each of the categories 81 to 84 pupils, 49 to 53 pupils and 12 to 16 pupils. Those categories would have been subject in previous years to the increases in pupil thresholds introduced for smaller schools.

Ruairi Quinn (Dublin South East, Labour)
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I thank the Deputy for his question.

The number of pupils enrolled in individual schools is provided in the national school annual census. Results from the census for the current school year, 2013-14, are being finalised at present. Publication of all data at first level and a final list of schools and their enrolments will be on the Department's website by the end of the school year. The information sought by the Deputy will be provided to him in the coming days.

It should be noted that a total of 122 schools were due to lose a classroom teacher, 73 in 2012-13, which is the first year of the reduction and 49 in the 2013-14 school year, as a result of the small schools 2012 budget measure. The appeals process, which was part and parcel of that budget measure, reduced these losses to 43 in 2012-13 - the first year - and 32 in the 2013-14 school year. The list of these schools will be given to the Deputy.

The allocation process for the 2014-15 school year is currently under way. Early indications are that 34 primary schools are due to lose a classroom teacher for the 2014-15 school year as a consequence of the implementation of the final phase of the budget 2012 measure. I emphasise that this figure is preliminary at this stage and would be expected to reduce following the appeals process. The final position with regard to the figure will be known in the autumn.

Charlie McConalogue (Donegal North East, Fianna Fail)
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I asked the Minister for data on schools under different categories, which would indicate those that are due to lose a teacher or not gain a teacher on the basis of pupil enrolments. It is unacceptable that we are unable to get specific details from the Minister on exactly how many children are in our national schools today. That information was provided to his Department as long ago as 30 September 2013, almost five months ago. I have asked the Minister on the floor of the Chamber today for specific details in regard to the different categories of schools, but the only information he has given is an indicative number of 34 for schools that are due to lose a teacher. He has given no indication of how many will not gain a teacher. What does the word "preliminary" mean in this context? After all, the Minister has had the information since 30 September last. Either the students are in the schools and the figures have been returned to him or they have not been. We know they have been and I do not see why he cannot provide that information to me today. I am asking for an explanation in that regard.

Ruairi Quinn (Dublin South East, Labour)
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I apologise to the Deputy. The system, which has been in place for a long time, used to take a whole year to return the data he is requesting, which means we would not have the final figures until next September. However, I am told by my Department's statistical section that the latest information will be published at the end of June, which is an improvement on the end of the year.

Charlie McConalogue (Donegal North East, Fianna Fail)
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This is the 21st century.

Ruairi Quinn (Dublin South East, Labour)
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Yes, but we are talking about a system that is very old. I am making special efforts to facilitate the Deputy. I hoped to have the information for him today but that was not possible in the time available to me. As soon as I can obtain it, I will convey the information to him directly and it will be available to any Member who wants it.

Charlie McConalogue (Donegal North East, Fianna Fail)
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How is the Minister able to provide an indicative figure of 34 for schools likely to lose a teacher? How can that particular number be extracted without extracting the other figures? It simply beggars belief. What is the Department doing if it cannot identify the number of students in the system and the number of teachers who will be employed next year? Schools have already lodged appeals in respect of the posts they are expected to lose, yet the Minister cannot tell me today how many and which schools will be in that category.

I put it to the Minister that the Department is withholding this information because it does not want it to become clear which schools will lose a teacher and which will not gain a teacher as a consequence of the cuts that have been introduced. The Minister has targeted those cuts at the half of all primary schools which have five teachers or fewer. His failure to provide the information I have requested is unacceptable. The most recent available data show that as of September 2012, 124 schools are in the categories I indicated and are therefore in line to lose a teacher. We cannot assess how that figure compares with the figure for last year without access to the data I have requested. After five months, I can only conclude that this is a deliberate strategy by the Department. I cannot see how the information is so complicated that it cannot be made available to the public and on the floor of the Dáil.

Ruairi Quinn (Dublin South East, Labour)
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I assure the Deputy that having been a Member of this House for many more years than I was ever a Minister in any Department, I recognise the untrammelled right of Deputies from either side of the House to obtain information that is available. Regrettably, the information the Deputy is seeking is not readily available today, but I will get it for him or any other Deputy who requests such information. In this instance, the data will come with a health warning because they are provisional. Some of the schools in question may very well have pupils starting next September of whom they are not as yet aware, which would have an impact on the final figure. I will obtain the information for the Deputy, in so far as I can and as quickly as possible.