Paddy McHugh (Galway East, Independent)
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Question 576: To ask the Minister for Education and Science if she will approve the appointment of an additional teacher to a school (details supplied) in County Galway; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [9024/05]

Paul Connaughton Snr (Galway East, Fine Gael)
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Question 580: To ask the Minister for Education and Science if an extra teacher will be sanctioned for a school (details supplied) in County Galway; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [9045/05]

Mary Hanafin (Dún Laoghaire, Fianna Fail)
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I propose to take Questions Nos. 576 and 580 together.

The mainstream staffing of a primary school is determined by applying the enrolment of the school on 30 September of the previous school year to a staffing schedule agreed between my Department and the education partners. The system for allocating teachers to primary schools is based on ensuring an overall maximum class size of 29 in each school. Where some classes in a school have class sizes of greater than 29, it is generally because a decision has been taken at local level to use their teaching resources to have smaller numbers in other classes.

In accordance with the staffing schedule, the staffing of the school referred to by the Deputy for the school year 2004-05 is a principal and seven mainstream class teachers based on an enrolment of 186 pupils at 30 September 2003. In addition, the school has one learning support teacher and one resource teacher. My Department will finalise the staffing schedule for the 2005-06 school year shortly and thereafter notify school boards of management.

According to data submitted to my Department by the board of management, the enrolment on 30 September 2004 in the school was 181 pupils. The staffing for the 2005-06 school year will be determined on the basis of this figure and in accordance with the agreed staffing schedule.

Paddy McHugh (Galway East, Independent)
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Question 577: To ask the Minister for Education and Science if she will ensure that a school (details supplied) in County Galway retains its current level of teaching staff; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [9026/05]

Paul Connaughton Snr (Galway East, Fine Gael)
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Question 581: To ask the Minister for Education and Science the reason a school (details supplied) in County Galway is losing a teacher; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [9046/05]

Mary Hanafin (Dún Laoghaire, Fianna Fail)
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I propose to take Questions Nos. 577 and 581 together.

The mainstream staffing of a primary school is determined by applying the enrolment of the school on 30 September of the previous school year to a staffing schedule agreed between my Department and the education partners. In accordance with the staffing schedule, the staffing of the school referred to by the Deputy for the school year 2004-05 is a principal and three mainstream class teachers based on an enrolment of 83 pupils at 30 September 2003. In addition, the school has the services of a learning support teacher. My Department will finalise the staffing schedule for the 2005-06 school year shortly and thereafter notify school boards of management.

According to data submitted to my Department by the board of management, the enrolment on 30 September 2004 in the school was 76 pupils. The staffing for the 2005-06 school year will be determined on the basis of this figure and in accordance with the agreed staffing schedule.

As outlined in Primary Circular 19/02, an independent appeals board was established to adjudicate on appeals from boards of management on mainstream staffing allocations in primary schools. The appeals board operates independently of the Minister and my Department and its decision is final. Appeals must be submitted to the primary payments section, Department of Education and Science, Athlone, on the standard application form, clearly stating the criterion under which the appeal is being made after the schedule for the 2005-06 school year has issued.

Paddy McHugh (Galway East, Independent)
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Question 578: To ask the Minister for Education and Science if approval will be given for the appointment of an additional teacher to a school (details supplied) in County Galway; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [9027/05]

Paul Connaughton Snr (Galway East, Fine Gael)
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Question 583: To ask the Minister for Education and Science if an extra teacher will be sanctioned for a school (details supplied)j in County Galway; if her attention has been drawn to the fact that there are 192 pupils attending this school and the school has seven teachers; if her attention has further been drawn to the fact that the average class size is 27.4 pupils; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [9048/05]

Mary Hanafin (Dún Laoghaire, Fianna Fail)
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I propose to take Questions Nos. 578 and 583 together.

The mainstream staffing of a primary school is determined by applying the enrolment of the school on 30 September of the previous school year to a staffing schedule agreed between my Department and the education partners.

The system for allocating teachers to primary schools is based on ensuring an overall maximum class size of 29 in each school. Where some classes in a school have class sizes of greater than 29, it is generally because a decision has been taken at local level to use their teaching resources to have smaller numbers in other classes.

In accordance with the staffing schedule, the staffing of the school referred to by the Deputy for the school year 2004-05 is a principal and seven mainstream class teachers, based on an enrolment of 186 pupils at 30 September 2003. In addition, the school has the services of a learning support teacher and a resource teacher.

My Department will finalise the staffing schedule for the 2005-06 school year shortly and thereafter notify school boards of management. According to data submitted to my Department by the board of management, the enrolment on 30 September 2004 in this school was 190 pupils. The staffing for the 2005-06 school year will be determined on the basis of this figure and in accordance with the agreed staffing schedule.