Bernard Durkan (Kildare North, Fine Gael)
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Question 353: To ask the Minister for Education and Science if extra teaching staff can or will be allocated to a school (details supplied) in County Kildare based on the class size and number of attending pupils; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [40033/05]

Mary Hanafin (Dún Laoghaire, Fianna Fail)
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The staffing of a primary school is determined by reference to the enrolment of the school on the 30 September of the previous school year. The actual number of mainstream posts sanctioned is determined by reference to a staffing schedule and is finalised for a particular year following discussions with the education partners.

The staffing schedule at primary level is structured to ensure that all primary schools will operate to a maximum average mainstream class size of 29 pupils across the school. Where some classes in a school have class sizes of greater than 29, it is generally because a decision has been taken at local level to use their teaching resources to have smaller numbers in other classes.

The mainstream staffing of the school referred to by the Deputy for the 2005-06 school year is a principal and five mainstream class teaching posts.

This is based on an enrolment of 148 pupils at 30 September 2004. The school also has one learning support-resource post and one temporary resource post.

The school was granted two extra mainstream class teachers for the 2005-06 school year under developing school criteria due to a projected increased enrolment of 187 pupils on 30 September 2005.