Michael Ring (Mayo, Fine Gael)
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Question 536: To ask the Minister for Education and Science if a person (details supplied) in County Mayo can retain their post in a school. [17042/07]

Mary Hanafin (Dún Laoghaire, Fianna Fail)
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The National Council for Special Education, through the local Special Educational Needs Organisers, is responsible for processing applications for special educational needs supports from primary and post primary schools.

Special Need Assistant (SNA) support is provided specifically to address the care needs of pupils with special educational needs. My officials have been in contact with the school regarding the case referred to by the Deputy. The child to whom the SNA has been assigned is leaving the school and there are no other children in need of SNA support in the school at this time. There is currently no basis, therefore, for the retention of the SNA post in the school.

Ned O'Keeffe (Cork East, Fianna Fail)
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Question 537: To ask the Minister for Education and Science if she will investigate the appointment of an additional teacher for September 2007 at a primary school (details supplied) in County Cork where pupil numbers have increased. [17064/07]

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 71 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 2 mainstream class teachers.

According to data submitted to the Department by the Board of Management of the school, the enrolment in the school on 30th September 2006 was 75 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, the mainstream staffing in the school for the 2007/08 school year will be a Principal and 2 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 the Department's website. Hard copies of this circular have issued to primary schools.

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 the Department's website.The first meeting of the Appeal Board was held in May, 2007. Further meetings will be held in July and October, 2007. The closing date for 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.