Ciarán Cannon (Galway East, Fine Gael)

As the Senator is aware, the new addition to the appeals process, whereby small rural schools could make the case to retain a teacher arose as a result of a significant discussion with rural representatives from both the Fine Gael and Labour parties, who asked for such an appeals process to be put in place. I am pleased that it has been put in place and that 205 from the 367 schools that submitted an appeal were successful in having that appeal upheld. The Minister rightly pointed out at the very beginning of the appeals process that it would be completely transparent and that schools making the appeal would have the criteria for the appeal published on the Department's website so that everybody would be aware of the targets that had to be reached in order to be able to lodge a successful appeal. Unfortunately, at this point, the school in question has not reached that target. It may reach that target in the future and, if so, under the normal staffing allocation process, it will be entitled to have an extra teacher awarded to it. There is no flexibility either in the appeals system or in the normal teacher allocation process to be able to look forward a year or two years in advance and conclude that a new teacher or a teaching post would be required at that point and have that post put in place immediately. That has never been the case as that is not the way the system works.

Between now and September, the enrolment could be proven to be slightly higher than 83 pupils or over 85, as the Senator pointed out, which would give the school the flexibility to re-engage with the appeals board to make the case. If the enrolment figure of 85 pupils cannot be reached, there is no point in further engagement.