Brian Hayes (Dublin South West, Fine Gael)
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Question 497: To ask the Minister for Education and Science if, in view of Primary Circular 11/02, regarding the secondment of primary school teachers, it is possible to re-categorise colleges of education (details supplied) as her Department's National Approved Programmes, in order to allow a period of up to ten years secondment rather than the five year secondment period which the school is allocated as it is currently classified as an outside body for the purposes of the circular, and that to make such a change is at the sole discretion of herself and would not require a change to Circular 11/02; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [6377/08]

Mary Hanafin (Dún Laoghaire, Fianna Fail)
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The scheme of secondment is designed to facilitate the temporary release of a permanent teacher from his or her teaching post. The procedures for secondment arrangements are set out in Department Circular 11/02. Under these arrangements a Board of Management, in framing a policy position on secondments, is required to ensure that the welfare and educational needs of pupils take precedence over all other considerations. The Board of Management must ensure that a fully qualified temporary replacement teacher can be obtained to replace the teacher on secondment. The terms of the secondment arrangement referred to by the Deputy allow for secondment to an outside organisation, in this case a College of Education, for a maximum period of five years. I regard this five-year period as an appropriate balance between the needs of the individual schools from which staff are seconded from and outside organisations — in this case a College of Education.