Jan O'Sullivan (Limerick East, Labour)
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Question 622: To ask the Minister for Education and Science if she will reply to Parliamentary Question No. 582 of 27 March 2007 in the manner in which this Deputy requested it, that is separate figures for voluntary secondary schools, community and comprehensive schools and vocational schools; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [12857/07]

Mary Hanafin (Dún Laoghaire, Fianna Fail)
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In the 2001/2002 school year, there were approximately 24,477 wholetime equivalent teaching posts allocated to second level schools. This figure is broken down as follows: 13,571 to voluntary secondary, 3739 to community and comprehensive and 7167 to vocational schools. The corresponding figure for 2006/2007 is 25,484 wholetime equivalent posts and is broken down as follows: 13,414 to voluntary secondary, 4,178 to community and comprehensive and 7,892 to vocational schools.

As already stated this increase in staffing has dramatically improved the pupil teacher ratio at post primary level in recent years. The pupil teacher ratio has fallen from 13.9:1 in the 2001/2002 school year to 13.2:1 in the 2005/2006 school year.

The number of permanent teaching posts available in individual schools at any one time is determined in accordance with the agreed criteria relating to the application of the pupil teacher ratio. It is a matter for the individual school authority, as employer, to determine whether any particular post when vacated may be filled on a permanent basis.