Ruairi Quinn (Dublin South East, Labour)

The Government has prioritised targeted supports for schools with the most concentrated levels of educational disadvantage. These supports will continue to be targeted through the Delivering Equality of Opportunity in Schools scheme, which is focused on 670 primary schools and 195 post-primary schools with particularly high levels of disadvantage. This scheme is designed to ensure the most disadvantaged schools benefit from a comprehensive package of supports.

The creation of a dedicated DEIS band 1 pupil-teacher ratio of 22:1 in the budget will secure a more favourable staffing allocation for these primary schools in comparison with the mainstream pupil-teacher ratio of 28:1. While the new staffing schedule gives greater autonomy to DEIS band 1 schools, the schools should continue to prioritise their staffing allocation to implement more favourable pupil-teacher ratios in junior classes, in line with DEIS policy.

The Government is also providing €13 million in enhanced funding for DEIS schools, €2 million in school book funding for DEIS schools, as well as a €26 million investment in the home-school-community liaison scheme. All of these areas have been protected from reductions in expenditure for 2012. In addition, €27 million will be provided next year for the school completion programme, a major component of DEIS, funded by the Department of Children and Youth Affairs. Furthermore, DEIS post-primary schools will be targeted for additional support through an improved staffing schedule of 18.25:1, which is a 0.75 point improvement compared with the existing standard 19:1 that applies in post-primary schools that do not charge fees, or compared with the 21:1 ratio that will apply in fee-charging schools.

To ensure fairness in the distribution of resources available under the DEIS plan, it is no longer possible to allow some schools to retain legacy posts on a concessionary basis that predate the introduction of the DEIS scheme. As a result, a decision has been taken to withdraw 428 posts from earlier disadvantage programmes and schemes in 270 primary schools and 163 post-primary schools that exceed what equivalent schools are entitled to under DEIS or to which non-DEIS schools are not entitled.

I am aware that some schools will be particularly impacted by the withdrawal of the legacy disadvantage posts. I met a group of school principals on Tuesday so I could listen directly to their concerns about the impact of this measure on their schools. Consequently, the Department will hold a number of teaching posts in reserve to reduce the impact of changes to schools most acutely affected.

As part of the alleviation measures, DEIS band 1 junior schools will be placed on a staffing schedule based on an average of one teacher for 20 pupils. A further 32 schools that have legacy posts that provided for one teacher for every 15 pupils in junior classes only will now have a staffing schedule that operates on the basis of an average of one teacher for 18 junior pupils.

The special position of DEIS schools will also be recognised in adjustments to the general allocation model, which is used to allocate learning and language support teaching posts to schools. The Department is not in a position at present to give details as to how this measure will affect individual schools, including schools referred to by the Senator. In addition to the budget measures, consideration must be given to the effect of increases and decreases in enrolment on schools' staffing entitlements annually.

All schools will be notified in January 2012, three months earlier than normal, of their staffing entitlements under the new arrangement, including any alleviation measures that may apply. This will allow schools to plan for the school year beginning in September.