Olwyn Enright (Laois-Offaly, Fine Gael)
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Question 189: To ask the Minister for Education and Science if any change in the regulations relating to the appointment of teachers will be approved; if she will amend the regulations so that the waiting time for extra teachers for schools with an increased enrolment will be significantly shortened; if her attention has been drawn to the considerable difficulties that this delay in appointing additional teachers causes for schools; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [29928/05]

Mary Hanafin (Dún Laoghaire, Fianna Fail)
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The mainstream staffing of a primary school is determined by reference to the enrolment of 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 staffing schedule is outlined in a circular which is issued annually to all primary schools.

Within the terms of the current staffing arrangements for primary schools there is provision for additional posts, referred to as developing school posts, to be assigned to schools on the basis of projected enrolments for the next school year. Under these arrangements, 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 If the specified figure is not achieved on 30 September, sanction for the post is withdrawn. There are no proposals at present to change these arrangements.