Tom Hayes (Tipperary South, Fine Gael)
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Question 463: To ask the Minister for Education and Science the position regarding the accommodation and staffing needs at a school (details supplied) in County Tipperary. [27935/05]

Mary Hanafin (Dún Laoghaire, Fianna Fail)
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An application for additional accommodation for September 2005 was received from the school to which the Deputy refers. This application was unsuccessful as the school is accommodated in a mainstream post-primary school in which enrolments have fallen. Therefore, it was considered that appropriate accommodation was available for use by the school in question.

With regard to the issue of teaching resources, teacher allocations to second level schools are approved annually by my Department in accordance with established rules based on recognised pupil enrolment. Each school management authority must organise its teaching timetable and subject options having regard to pupils needs within the limit of its approved teacher allocation.

The rules for allocating teaching resources provide that where a school management authority is unable to meet its curricular commitments within its approved allocation, my Department will consider applications for additional short term support. The school referred to by the Deputy operates under the auspices of County Tipperary South Riding Vocational Education Committee or VEC. This authority applied for curricular concessions for the 2005-06 school year and, following consideration of the application, my Department granted 5.63 wholetime equivalent teacher posts. An independent appeals committee is available to school authorities who wish to appeal the adequacy of their allocations. The VEC appealed to this committee and has also been granted 1.50 wholetime equivalent posts. The committee operates independently of my Department and its decisions are final.