Phil Hogan (Carlow-Kilkenny, Fine Gael)
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Question 416: To ask the Minister for Education and Science the membership of the appeals board established for the purpose of allocation of additional primary teachers; the number of appeals that were made; the number of those appeals that were successful; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [37592/05]

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. To ensure openness and transparency in the system, a school which wishes to appeal its mainstream teaching allocation must do so by applying to the appeals board for mainstream staffing in primary schools. The board acts independently of my Department. The criteria under which an appeal can be made are set out in primary circular 19/02, which is available on my Department's website.

The members of the appeals board are Dr. Tom McCarthy, chairperson, Mr. Frank Davis, Ms Monica Healy, Ms Mairead McGowan and Mr. Sean Nolan. The board considered 96 appeals in relation to the 2005-06 school year. Of these, nine were upheld, 86 were refused and one was subsequently withdrawn by the school before a final decision could be made by the board.