Billy Timmins (Wicklow, Fine Gael)
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Question 571: To ask the Minister for Education and Science the position in relation to a school (details supplied) in County Wicklow; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [34239/05]

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, which is issued annually to all primary schools.

The staffing of the school referred to by the Deputy is a principal and 27 mainstream class teachers based on an enrolment of 766 pupils on 30 September 2004. The school also has four learning support-resource posts under the new general allocation system. There is also a special class attached to the mainstream school which caters for children with mild general learning disability.

The system for allocating teachers to primary schools is based on ensuring an overall maximum class of 29 in each school.

Significant improvements have been made in the pupil-teacher ratio and in average class size in recent years at primary level. The most recent figure available for average class size at primary level refers to the 2003-04 school year, when the average class size was 23.9, down from 26.6 in 1996-97. The pupil-teacher ratio at primary level, which includes all the teachers including resource teachers, has fallen from 22.2:1 in the 1996-97 school year to 17.1:1, projected, in 2004-05.

To ensure openness and transparency in the system an independent appeal board is now in place to decide on any appeals on mainstream staffing. The criteria under which an appeal can be made are set out in Department Primary Circular 19/02 which is also available on my Department's website.