Phil Hogan (Carlow-Kilkenny, Fine Gael)
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Question 399: To ask the Minister for Education and Science if the present staffing in a school (details supplied) in County Kilkenny will remain from September 2005; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [14854/05]

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 mainstream 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 187 pupils at 30 September, 2003. The school also has one full-time resource post and 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 175 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.