Paddy McHugh (Galway East, Independent)
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Question 458: To ask the Minister for Education and Science if a school (details supplied) in County Galway will retain its fourth mainstream assistant class teacher; if the position of a temporary shared resource teacher at the school will be made permanent; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [13930/05]

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. In accordance with the staffing schedule, the staffing of the school for the school year 2004-05 is a principal and four mainstream class teachers based on an enrolment of 116 pupils at 30 September 2003.

In addition, the school has the services of a learning support teacher and two full-time resource teacher posts, one of whom is allocated on a temporary basis. 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 referred to by the Deputy was 104 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 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.

A revised system for allocating resource teachers and learning support teachers was announced last year and a review of this system is taking place with particular reference to its impact on small and rural schools. I expect this review to be completed shortly in time to be implemented for the next school year. The position regarding the level and nature of the school's special education teaching posts will be clarified at that point.