Brian Ó Domhnaill (Fianna Fail)
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Baineann sé seo le scoil aon-oide - Scoil Cholmcille ar Oileán Thoraigh. Is é príomhoide na scoile an t-aon múinteoir amháin sa scoil. Chomh fada agus a bhaineann sé leis an Roinn Oideachais agus Scileanna, is é an príomhoide an t-aon duine atá istigh sa scoil ó lá go lá ar bhonn lánaimseartha. Dúirt cathaoirleach an bhoird bhainistíochta, an tAthair Seán Ó Gallchóir, go bhfuil sé seo ag teacht salach ar gach dea-chleachtas maidir le cúram páistí. D'iarr an bord bainistíochta ar an Roinn an dara duine - múinteoir nó cúntóir teanga - a cheadú, ach ní raibh aon toradh ar na hiarrachtaí sin. Tháinig an ceist chéanna aníos anuraidh. Tá lucht bhord bainistíochta na scoile chomh cinnte go bhfuil an dara duine ag teastáil sa scoil go gcuireann siad an dara cúntóir ar fáil amach as a gciste airgid féin. Tá ceist chúram leanaí anseo. Tá a fhios agam gur ghlac na ndaoine leis an moladh a chur an Rialtas os comhair phobal na hÉireann i reifreann na bliana seo caite chun cearta a thabhairt do leanaí na hÉireann.

Tá Scoil Cholmcille bunaithe ar Oileán Thoraigh, aon mhíle déag amach ó chósta Dhún na nGall. Níl aon deis eile ag na páistí seo ach freastal a dhéanamh ar an scoil sin. Dá bhrí sin, níl an scoil nó an bord bainistíochta sásta nach bhfuil siad in ann an dara oide a fháil ón Roinn. Tuigim go bhfuil roinnt scoileanna eile ar fud an Stáit sa suíomh céanna agus a bhfuil an scoil seo; sé sin, nach bhfuil ach aon oide ann. Measaim go trom gur chóir go mbeadh dualgas ar an Roinn Oideachais agus Scileanna beirt mhúinteoirí, ar a laghad, a chur ar fáil i gcónaí.

This matter refers to Scoil Cholmcille on Oileán Thoraigh, which is a one-teacher school with 11 pupils. It is totally unacceptable the Department of Education and Skills does not approve a classroom assistant or second teacher for such schools. The school is on an island with a population of approximately 160 people, 11 miles off the Donegal coast. As many as 20 other schools in the State have only one teacher. It is not the right practice from a child safety and protection point of view or from the point of view of the educational advancement of the children. It is incompatible that one teacher is expected to teach eight classes in one school building.

Tá súil agam gur féidir leis an Aire Stáit rud éigin a dhéanamh faoi seo. Tá achainí déanta ag príomhoide an bhoird bhainistíochta chuig an Roinn le déanaí ag lorg go mbeidh an dara múinteoir curtha ar fáil. Tuigtear dom nach bhfuil ach roinnt bheag de na scoileanna seo ar fud na tíre. Costas beag a bheadh i gceist an dara post a chur ar fáil san scoileanna seo. Tá súil agam gur féidir é sin a dhéanamh sula rachaidh na páistí seo ar ais ar scoil i mí Mheán Fómhair.

Ciarán Cannon (Galway East, Fine Gael)
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Gabhaim buíochas leis an Seanadóir as an deis a thabhairt dom léiriú a thabhairt don Seanad ar an suíomh maidir le foirne i mbunscoileanna agus inár scoileanna oileáin ach go háirithe. Caitheann mo Roinn go cóir agus go cothrom le scoileanna nuair atá acmhainní á leithdháileadh chucu. Déantar é seo ar bhealach trédhearcach ag baint úsáide as critéir atá foilsithe. Leithdháiltear acmhainní teagaisc chuig scoileanna ar bhonn scoilbhliana.

The criteria used for the allocation of teachers to schools is published annually on the Department's website. The key factor for determining the level of staffing resources provided at individual school level is the national staffing schedule for the relevant school year and the specific pupil enrolments in the school in question on the previous 30 September. The staffing schedule sets out in a very fair and transparent manner the pupil thresholds for the allocation of mainstream classroom posts for all schools.

Special arrangements exist for island schools and these arrangements take account of the circumstances that arise in providing education in an island setting. This special provision means that unlike the generality of schools, in the event a reduction in the pupil numbers of an island school will result in the loss of the second or third classroom teaching post in the school, the post may be retained subject to certain pupil retention levels. In the case of the second mainstream post, the total number of pupils must be at eight or above and the school must be the only primary school remaining on the island. In all other two-teacher schools the number of pupils required to retain a second teacher is 17, which is significantly above the number which applies to island schools. This shows the favourable staffing arrangements already in place for primary schools which are the only school on an island.

The pupil enrolment in Scoil Cholmcille on Tory Island for 30 September 2012 was nine pupils. This compares with six pupils in both 2010 and 2011. Under the published staffing schedule the staffing level in the school for the 2013 to 2014 school year will remain at one mainstream teacher. In addition, the school also receives part-time teaching support of five hours learning support per week for its nine pupils.

In addition, the school also receives part-time teaching support of five hours learning support per week for its nine pupils. At a time of great strain on our public finances, we must ensure the very valuable, but limited, resources available to us are used in the best way possible. Unlike most other areas of the public service, teaching vacancies are being filled in accordance with published Department criteria. In fact, we are recruiting almost 900 new teachers this year alone. Within the constraints of the employment control framework, schools are permitted to fill teaching vacancies that arise within their approved staffing allocations and island schools have received special consideration historically when enrolment levels fall below thresholds which mean the loss of that second teacher. Those special considerations remain in place and those arrangements have not changed.

Brian Ó Domhnaill (Fianna Fail)
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Gabhaim buíochas leis an Aire Stáit. Ní fheictear dom cén fáth nach bhfuil an Roinn sásta an dara oide a cheadú sa chás seo. The school meets the Department's minimum criteria of, currently, having 11 pupils and, from September this year, having nine pupils but according to the Minister of State, in the case of the second mainstream post, the total number of pupils in an island school must be eight or above where the school is the only primary school remaining on the island. That is the case in this particular school. Why can it not obtain a second teacher because it would appear to meet the criteria set down by the Department?

Ciarán Cannon (Galway East, Fine Gael)
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I was quite confused by that as well. The situation is that if the school has an existing second teacher, it must have that minimum number to retain that teacher. However, if the teacher is lost to the school, it requires substantially more than nine pupils - I cannot recall the exact figure - in order to regain that post. The figure for retention of the teacher and the figure to gain a new post over and above are two different figures. That is the situation that has applied over many Governments and it remains the case.