Damien English (Meath West, Fine Gael) | Oireachtas source

I thank Senator Cullinane for giving me the opportunity to outline to the House the position on the support provided to schools with a high concentration of pupils that require language support, such as the one he has raised today. Teacher allocations are approved annually in accordance with established rules based on recognised pupil enrolment. Schools are very well informed about the rules. Reforms introduced in the 2012-13 school year created a single simplified allocation process for both learning and language support. At primary level, learning and language support hours are allocated on the basis of mainstream classroom teaching posts in the school. Schools have autonomy to deploy this resource between learning support and language support depending on the specific needs of the school. The new arrangements also provided for additional permanent teaching posts to be given to schools with high concentration of pupils that require language support. Further additional temporary support is also provided, as necessary, on the basis of appeals by any of these schools to the primary staffing appeals board.

The criteria used for the allocation of teaching posts for the 2015-16 school year is set out in primary Circular 0005/2015, which the Senator quoted, and which is available on the Department's website. In addition, the staffing appeal process at primary level includes the provision whereby schools with a high concentration of pupils requiring English as an additional language can apply for additional temporary language support posts. These language support, EAL, allocations are made on the basis of appeals by schools to the primary staffing appeals board, using projected enrolment for the following September.

The school referred to by the Senator today currently has one permanent language support post. The school submitted an appeal under the English as an additional language criterion to the primary staffing appeals board. The board upheld the appeal at its meeting in March 2015 and allocated one additional temporary language support post to the school, subject to the school achieving its projected enrolments on 30 September 2015. The school was informed in March. The Senator said September, but the school knew in March that it had this post. The school would have been very clearly told that it was subject to enrolments on 30 September 2015. That is usually very clear but that does not seem to be the case in the situation mentioned by the Senator.

While schools must have at least 20% EAL pupils to apply for a temporary EAL post, not all schools with that percentage of EAL pupils will receive a temporary EAL post. As stated in Circular 0005/2015, additional post or posts may be approved, "having considered the circumstances outlined by the school and having regard to the high number of pupils requiring EAL support". As the projected enrolment of pupils requiring language support was not achieved on 30 September 2015, the temporary language support post has been withdrawn. The school will retain its permanent language support post. The primary staffing appeals board operates independently of the Department and its decision is final.

I thank the Senator for raising the issue and giving me the opportunity to outline the process and to bring some clarity to it. If the Senator has additional information that we are missing, I will bring it to the Minister's attention.