Paul Kehoe (Wexford, Fine Gael)
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Question 151: To ask the Minister for Education and Science the qualifying conditions for a primary school to have a walking, that is, non-teaching principal; if, in view of the increased workload, she intends to change these conditions; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [20429/05]

Mary Hanafin (Dún Laoghaire, Fianna Fail)
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In recent years many improvements have been made to enable principal teachers in primary schools to perform their administrative duties. Up until the 1999-2000 school year, principals were released from teaching duties to become an administrative principal where the school had a staffing of eight or more mainstream class teachers. From the commencement of the 2000-01 school year, administrative principals were appointed to ordinary schools with seven mainstream class teachers and in schools with a principal plus eleven or more teachers including ex quota posts.

Since the 2002-03 school year, administrative principals may be appointed to schools where there is a principal plus nine or more teachers, including ex quota posts. The introduction of the release time scheme for principals of smaller primary schools for the 2000-01 school year marked a significant improvement in the conditions of service for the principals in those schools. This scheme enables teaching principals of primary schools to be released from their teaching duties for a specified number of days annually to undertake administrative leadership and management functions. The number of days release time granted is determined by the number of mainstream class teachers in the school as outlined in primary circular 25/02. Paid substitution is approved by my Department for the days that principals are on release time.

Arising from the implementation of the PCW agreement, significant improvements were introduced to the management structure of primary schools through the allocation of additional posts of responsibility. It is a matter for the boards of management of schools to delegate functions to post of responsibility holders.

My Department is engaged in the development of a computerised on-line system for the submission of claims for the payment of certain categories of teachers. This system, when implemented, is expected to further assist principal teachers in the performance of their administrative duties.