Emmet Stagg (Kildare North, Labour)
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Question 325: To ask the Minister for Education and Science if her attention has been drawn to the fact that a school (details supplied) in County Kildare is to lose a teacher in October 2005; if she will take steps to have the decision reversed; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [29690/05]

Mary Hanafin (Dún Laoghaire, Fianna Fail)
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The mainstream staffing of a primary school for a particular school year is determined by reference to the enrolment in the school on 30 September of the previous school year. This is in accordance with guidelines agreed between my Department and the education partners. The guidelines can only be deviated from where a school experiences rapid growth in its enrolment. In such cases, an additional post, referred to as a developing school post, may be sanctioned provisionally where the projected enrolment at 30 September of the school year in question equals or exceeds a specified figure. If the specified figure is not achieved on 30 September, sanction for the post is withdrawn.

The enrolment in the school referred to by the Deputy on 30 September 2004 was 242 pupils, which warrants a staffing of principal plus nine mainstream posts for the 2005-2006 school year. On the basis of projected enrolments, a developing school post was approved provisionally. However, the required enrolment figure at 30 September 2005 was not achieved.

To ensure openness and transparency in the system an independent appeals board is now in place to decide on any appeals. The criteria under which an appeal can be made are set out in Department primary circular 19/02. The board of management of the school has submitted an appeal to the staffing appeals board under developing school criteria. As outlined in the relevant application form, this appeal will be considered by the appeals board at its meeting on 19 October 2005. The board of management will be notified of the outcome of the appeal as soon as possible thereafter.

The Deputy will appreciate that it would not be appropriate for me to intervene in the operation of the independent appeals board.