Pat Breen (Clare, Fine Gael)
Link to this: Individually | In context

Question 450: To ask the Minister for Education and Science if his attention has been drawn to the consequences of budgetary cutbacks for a school (details supplied) in County Clare; if he will ensure that the number of teachers is retained at the school; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [37831/08]

Pat Breen (Clare, Fine Gael)
Link to this: Individually | In context

Question 451: To ask the Minister for Education and Science if his attention has been drawn to the consequences of budgetary cutbacks for a school (details supplied) in County Clare; if he will ensure that the number of teachers is retained at the school; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [37832/08]

Pat Breen (Clare, Fine Gael)
Link to this: Individually | In context

Question 452: To ask the Minister for Education and Science if his attention has been drawn to the consequences of budgetary cutbacks for a school (details supplied) in County Clare; if he will ensure that the number of teachers is retained at the school; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [37833/08]

Pat Breen (Clare, Fine Gael)
Link to this: Individually | In context

Question 453: To ask the Minister for Education and Science if his attention has been drawn to the consequences of budgetary cutbacks for a school (details supplied); if he will ensure that the number of teachers is retained at the school; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [37834/08]

Michael Ring (Mayo, Fine Gael)
Link to this: Individually | In context

Question 455: To ask the Minister for Education and Science the effects of the budget 2009 cutbacks on a primary school (details supplied) in County Mayo with particular reference to teacher numbers; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [37855/08]

Michael Ring (Mayo, Fine Gael)
Link to this: Individually | In context

Question 456: To ask the Minister for Education and Science if a school (details supplied) in County Mayo is to lose 50% of their teachers as a direct result of budget 2009; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [37856/08]

Bernard Durkan (Kildare North, Fine Gael)
Link to this: Individually | In context

Question 549: To ask the Minister for Education and Science the number of schools which are expected to lose teachers in the next two years and arising from recent budgetary cutbacks; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [38526/08]

Batt O'Keeffe (Cork North West, Fianna Fail)
Link to this: Individually | In context

I propose to take Questions Nos. 450, 451, 452, 453, 455, 456 and 549 together.

The 2009 Budget required difficult choices to be made across all areas of public expenditure. These decisions were made to control public expenditure and to ensure sustainability in the long run. In this respect Education while protected to a much greater extent than most other areas of public expenditure could not be totally spared.

Prudent management of the Government finances is particularly important at this time of global economic uncertainty when tax revenue has fallen so significantly and when world economic conditions are so serious. Even with the Budget measures in place there will still be a significantly increased borrowing requirement in 2009.

The Government's commitment to education is clear both from its track record over the past decade in providing substantial additional resources, most notably extra teachers to meet previously unmet needs and from the programme the Government set for itself when it came into office. A lot has changed in the past year and the first and foremost imperative is that we stabilise the public finances. It is only by doing so that we can shelter gains made and put ourselves in the position of being able to make improvements in the future. What we are doing in primary schools from September next is staffing them on the same basis as they were staffed just over one school year ago.

In terms of the position in respect of any one school for September 2009, schools are currently returning data to my Department in relation to their enrolment as of 30 September last. My Department has commenced processing these data although all schools have not yet made their returns. The allocation process including notification to schools will commence early in the New Year.

The allocation process includes appellate mechanisms under which schools can appeal against the allocation due to them under the staffing schedules. The final allocation to a school is also a function of the operation of the redeployment panels which provide for the retention of a teacher in an existing school if a new post is not available within the agreed terms of the scheme.