Bernard Durkan (Kildare North, Fine Gael)
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Question 485: To ask the Minister for Education and Science when the pupil-teacher ratio will be reduced regarding class sizes in a school (details supplied) in County Kildare; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [16537/07]

Mary Hanafin (Dún Laoghaire, Fianna Fail)
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The mainstream staffing of a primary school is determined by reference to the enrolment of the school on 30th 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.

Data submitted to the Department by the Board of Management of the school referred to by the Deputy, indicates that the enrolment in the school on 30th September 2005 was 422 pupils. In accordance with the staffing schedule (Circular 0023/2006), which is available on the Department's website at www.education.ie, the mainstream staffing in the school for the 2006/07 school year is a Principal and 15 mainstream class teachers.

The enrolment in the school on 30th September 2006 was 432 pupils. In accordance with the staffing schedule (Circular 0020/2007), which is available on the Department's website at www.education.ie and a hard copy of which has issued to all primary schools, I am pleased to inform the Deputy that the mainstream staffing in the school for the 2007/08 school year will be a Principal and 16 mainstream class teachers.

Within the terms of the 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 30th September of the school year in question equals or exceeds a specified figure. If the specified figure is not achieved on 30th September, sanction for the post is withdrawn.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 0024/2007 (Appeal Board for Mainstream Staffing in Primary Schools) which is available on my Department's website. Hard copies of this circular have issued to primary schools.

An appeal 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 the Department's website.

The first meeting of the Appeal Board was held on the 22 May, 2007. Further meetings will be held in July and October, 2007. The closing date for the receipt of an appeal for the July meeting was 22 June while the closing date for the October meeting is 12 October. The Appeal Board operates independently of the Minister and the Department and its decision is final.