Brian Hayes (Dublin South West, Fine Gael)
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Question 468: To ask the Minister for Education and Science the number of primary school teachers under probation in the 2008/2009 school year; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [33474/08]

Brian Hayes (Dublin South West, Fine Gael)
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Question 469: To ask the Minister for Education and Science the breakdown of the institutions at which teachers currently on probation obtained their teaching qualifications; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [33475/08]

Brian Hayes (Dublin South West, Fine Gael)
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Question 470: To ask the Minister for Education and Science the number of teachers currently on probation who have yet to pass An Scrúdú le haghaidh Cáilíochta sa Ghaeilge; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [33476/08]

Brian Hayes (Dublin South West, Fine Gael)
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Question 497: To ask the Minister for Education and Science the number of probationary teachers or trainee teachers within the Irish education system in each year over the past five years; if his attention has been drawn to the range of educational colleges from which these probationer/trainee teachers come; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [33627/08]

Brian Hayes (Dublin South West, Fine Gael)
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Question 500: To ask the Minister for Education and Science the number of probationer and trainee teachers who have to be inspected by his Department's inspectorate before qualifying as fully trained teachers in each year over the past ten years; the number of inspectors employed by his Department in each year over the past ten years; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [33641/08]

Batt O'Keeffe (Cork North West, Fianna Fail)
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I propose to take Questions Nos. 468, 469, 470, 497 and 500 together.

As of Thursday 2nd October, 2,279 teachers have been registered for probation in the 2008/2009 school year. Of the 2,279 teachers, data in respect of the institution from which they obtained their teaching qualification is available in respect of 2,256 cases.

There are 1,787 graduates from 8 Irish Colleges which run courses that are approved for the purpose of employment in primary schools. A further 469 graduates obtained their teaching qualifications in a total of 84 colleges, almost all of which are located in Great Britain and Northern Ireland.

All primary teachers who have trained outside of Ireland who have not satisfied the Irish language requirement must successfully complete all modules of the Scrúdú le haghaidh Cailíochta sa Ghaeilge before they can commence their probation in primary schools in Ireland.

The data requested by the Deputy in relation to previous years is not readily available within my Department and would involve an inordinate amount of administrative time to compile.

In relation to the numbers of inspectors employed by my Department at primary level, the total number of primary inspectors in service on 1st September each year for the past 10 years is as follows: 1999 — 64; 2000 — 74; 2001 — 66; 2002 — 77; 2003 — 70; 2004 — 75; 2005 — 71; 2006 — 74; 2007 — 82 ; 2008 — 75.

The above numbers do not include former primary inspectors who are members of the senior management group of the Inspectorate.