Brendan Howlin (Wexford, Labour)
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Question 195: To ask the Minister for Education and Science if her Department has received correspondence from a school (details supplied) in County Wexford in regard to the appointment of a fourth classroom teacher under the developing school criteria; if she will respond positively in view of the circumstances outlined; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [11471/06]

Mary Hanafin (Dún Laoghaire, Fianna Fail)
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My Department has received correspondence from the school referred to by the Deputy in regard to the appointment of a third mainstream class teacher under developing school criteria.

The staffing of a primary school is determined by reference to the enrolment of the school on 30 September of the previous school year. The actual number of mainstream posts sanctioned is determined by reference to a staffing schedule which is issued to all primary schools each year. According to data submitted to my Department by the board of management of the school in question, the enrolment in the school on 30 September 2005 was 77 pupils. In accordance with the staffing schedule, circular 0023/2006, which has issued to all primary schools and is also available on my Department's website at www.education.ie, the mainstream staffing in the school for the 2006-07 school year will be a principal and two mainstream class teachers. The school will also have a shared learning support-resource teacher based in the school.

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 If the specified figure is not achieved on 30 September, sanction for the post is withdrawn.

It is open to the board of management to submit an appeal under certain criteria to an independent appeal board which was established to adjudicate on appeals on mainstream staffing allocations in primary schools. Details of the criteria and application dates for appeal are contained in the staffing schedule. They are also available in circular 0024/2006, appeal board for mainstream staffing in primary schools, which is available on my Department's website. Hard copies of this circular will issue to primary schools shortly.

It is proposed that the first meeting of the appeal board will be held in May 2006. Further meetings will be held in July and October 2006. The closing dates for receipt of appeals are 12 May, 24 June and 18 October, respectively. Appeals must be submitted to primary payments section, Department of Education and Science, Athlone, on the standard application form, clearly stating the criterion under which the appeal is being made. The standard application form is available from primary payments section or on my Department's website. The appeal board operates independently of the Minister and my Department and its decision is final.

It would not be appropriate for me to intervene in the operation of the independent appeal board.