Seán Ó Fearghaíl (Kildare South, Fianna Fail)
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Question 355: To ask the Minister for Education and Science if, due to the greatly increased number of enrolments in a school (details supplied), he will allocate additional teaching resources to the school; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [20649/08]

Batt O'Keeffe (Cork North West, Fianna Fail)
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The mainstream 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. 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 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 If the specified figure is not achieved on 30 September, sanction for the post is withdrawn. The mainstream staffing of the school referred to by the Deputy for the current school year is a Principal and 2 mainstream class teaching posts. This is based on an enrolment of 72 pupils at 30 September 2006. The school also secured an additional mainstream class teacher for the 2007-08 school year under developing school criteria resulting in staffing of Principal and 3 mainstream class teachers.

According to data submitted to my Department by the Board of Management of the school, the enrolment in the school on 30 September 2007 was 98 pupils. In accordance with the staffing schedule (Circular 0010/2008), which is available on my Department's website, www.education.ie, and a hard copy of which has been issued to all primary schools, the mainstream staffing in the school for the 2008-09 school year will be a Principal and 4 mainstream class teachers. The Board of Management of the school is therefore entitled to appoint one additional mainstream class teacher for the 2008-09 school year. The Board of Management submitted an application for an additional post under developing school criteria for the school year 2008-09. The application did not meet all of the criteria required under this arrangement and the Board of Management was notified accordingly. 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. The criteria are also available in Circular 0024/2007 (Appeal Board for Mainstream Staffing in Primary Schools) which is available on my Department's website.

The first meeting of the Appeal Board took place on 20 May 2008. Further meetings will be held in June and October 2008. The closing dates for receipt of appeals are 20 June and 10 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 the Primary Payments Section or on my Department's website. The Appeal Board operates independently of the Department and its decision is final.