Seán Sherlock (Cork East, Labour) | Oireachtas source

I thank Senator Bradford for raising this issue. The criteria used for the allocation of teachers to schools is published annually. I accept the point made by the Senator in regard to budget 2012, whereby as part of that budget there is a phased increase in the number of pupils required to gain and retain a classroom teaching post in small primary schools with four teachers or less. The current system operates on the basis of a general average of one classroom teacher for every 28 pupils, with lower thresholds for DEIS band 1 schools. I have not seen the correspondence Senator Bradford referred to, but I acknowledge pressures are being brought to bear in terms of the classroom experience, both for pupils and for teachers. I acknowledge also that budgetary measures taken in 2012 brought pressure, a result of macro-economic factors.

The Department has expanded the existing appeals process so that it is accessible to the schools that are affected by the budget measure. Small schools will not lose their classroom post if they project sustainable increased enrolments in September 2014 that would be sufficient to allow them to retain their existing classroom posts over the longer term. We are all aware of the appeals process and the staffing circulars and the processes involved.

I acknowledge the general point being made by the Senator that we must ensure there is a role for small schools within rural communities. Both he and I hail from the same region and such communities. The Department has taken a conscious decision to ensure that schools which had no inward investment for many years, for example, in regard to capital expenditure and bricks and mortar, are seeing investment. Projects are now going on throughout our region and the country to replace prefabs with bricks and mortar. This is part of trying to make the experience for students and school communities better. In rural areas, these schools are the institutions underpinning the community.

The Senator will be aware that a value for money review was conducted on small primary schools. The review took account of the ethos of schools and of their locations relative to other similar schools. We are currently considering the value for money reviews, in consultation with Government colleagues and it is intended to publish the report on completion of the consideration process. We are very mindful of the points raised by Senator Bradford in regard to the budget 2012 measures. We seek to ensure we have a sustainable model for the future, but I acknowledge there are challenges in that regard.

The Minister has had initial discussions with the Catholic Primary Schools Management Association, CPSMA, and the Irish National Teachers Organisation in regard to their proposals on the issue of primary school consolidation and reorganisation. We acknowledge that some 48 small schools have had a reduction in enrolments, which means that for September 2014 they will lose a teacher. We acknowledge these losses would not have occurred if the pre-budget 2012 enrolment threshold still applied and if the threshold for a two-teacher school had remained at 12 pupils. We acknowledge the constraints that exist currently. However, the value for money review is under consideration and will be published.

Speaking personally, I will advocate strongly for assurances to be given on the future of schools and for consultation and engagement with stakeholders in a meaningful process of dialogue which will ensure a future for these schools. Then we can begin to address the dynamic the Senator outlined in regard to the new pressures that exist in particular schools and classrooms as economic circumstances improve.