Joan Burton (Dublin West, Labour)
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Question 312: To ask the Minister for Education and Science if her attention has been drawn to the difficulties faced by Gaelscoileanna, such as a Gaelscoil (details supplied) in Dublin 15 which is at risk of losing a teacher in the 2005-06 academic year due to children continuously leaving; and the special burden on Gaelscoileanna; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [12417/05]

Mary Hanafin (Dún Laoghaire, Fianna Fail)
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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.

Under current arrangements, the enrolment figure required for the appointment of up to the eleventh mainstream class teacher and the retention of up to the twelfth mainstream class teacher in a Gaelscoil is lower than that which applies in the case of ordinary national schools.

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 nine mainstream class teachers based on an enrolment of 229 pupils at 30 September 2003.

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 227 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.