Kieran O'Donnell (Limerick City, Fine Gael) | Oireachtas source

I thank the Senator for raising this issue as it affords me the opportunity to outline the position with regard to teacher redeployment schemes operating in post-primary schools. I am responding to the matter on behalf of the Minister for Education, Deputy Foley. I note the points the Senator has raised about redeployment. I will bring those back to the Minister and will highlight the points the Senator has made.

Teacher allocations to all second level schools are approved annually by the Department of Education in accordance with established rules based on recognised pupil enrolment. The criteria for the allocation of posts are communicated to school management annually and are available on the Department's website.

The recruitment and appointment of teachers to fill teaching posts is a matter for each individual school authority as the employer. The deployment of teaching staff in the school, the range of subjects offered and ultimately the quality of teaching and learning are in the first instance a matter for the individual school management authorities.

Post-primary schools employ teachers with the appropriate subject mix to provide for a range of subjects that can be offered to students. It is an important aspect of the annual timetabling process that schools work towards achieving this outcome where possible. Matching the subject mix on offer with the qualifications of individual teachers who typically have more than one subject can be a challenging task for schools. It is important that schools as employers retain the flexibility to employ teachers with the capacity to teach varied subjects to maintain a wide range of subjects on offer to students. I note the point the Senator raised in respect of the February deadline and that is a matter I will highlight to the Minister.

The core function of the redeployment arrangements is to facilitate the redeployment of surplus permanent teachers to other schools where vacancies exist. Such a scenario may occur in instances where enrolment drops in a school.

Redeployment may also arise in instances where the qualifications of teachers no longer match the subject needs of the school or where surpluses arise from the inclusion of career break and secondment service in the eligibility criteria for granting a contract of indefinite duration. This scheme includes provision for a teacher in a surplus school who wishes to volunteer to redeploy from that school to another location subject to the agreement of school management. Where this occurs, compulsory redeployment can be avoided. Ensuring efficiency in the annual redeployment processes is significant in terms of managing the overall teacher numbers and help to provide a supply of teachers to fill vacancies.

Following discussions and agreement with relevant stakeholders, a voluntary redeployment scheme has operated on a pilot basis in specific regions in recent years. Permanent teachers employed in these regions are given an opportunity to volunteer for a transfer to other areas of the country if such a transfer would free up a vacancy that would facilitate the redeployment of a surplus permanent teacher in that region. To date, the pilot voluntary redeployment scheme has operated in 24 counties. The pilot voluntary redeployment scheme helps the Department to achieve its objective of redeploying all the surplus permanent teachers. Teachers who apply under the pilot voluntary scheme and are not facilitated with a transfer continue to have the option of applying for posts in their preferred location that are advertised in the normal manner. I have no doubt but that the Senator will address some of the points I have raised.

Since the introduction of redeployment at post-primary level, more than 800 teachers have been redeployed ensuring an equitable and fair teacher allocation system to all schools. The teacher redeployment arrangements are reviewed annually by the Department of Education involving the education stakeholders, including teacher unions and management bodies. It is open to members of the school community to liaise with their representative bodies on any matters of concern they may have.

As part of the review, the education stakeholders can raise issues or concerns with the Department in respect of the operation of the redeployment process generally. The review in respect of the 2023-2024 redeployment process took place last December with education stakeholders.

The pilot voluntary redeployment scheme will operate in counties Longford, Westmeath, Laois and Offaly for 2023-2024 school year. The criteria for the allocation of teachers to schools including the redeployment arrangements for the 2023-2024 school year is available on the Department's website.