Bernard Durkan (Kildare North, Fine Gael)
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Question 550: To ask the Minister for Education and Science the number of schools which have classes that are in excess of the national pupil-teacher ratio; the location of such schools; the way these schools are expected to be affected by the recent budgetary cutbacks; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [38527/08]

Bernard Durkan (Kildare North, Fine Gael)
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Question 551: To ask the Minister for Education and Science the number and location of schools at primary and second level which have pupil-teacher ratios in the classroom that are already in excess of the national average pupil-teacher ratios; the steps he will take to alleviate the negative impact of the recent budgetary cutbacks on these schools; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [38528/08]

Batt O'Keeffe (Cork North West, Fianna Fail)
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I propose to take Questions Nos. 550 and 551 together.

The specific information requested by the Deputy is not readily available within my Department and would take an inordinate amount of administrative time to compile.

The staffing allocation of primary schools for the academic year 2009/10 cannot be determined until the allocation process has fully concluded. There is nothing exceptional in this. The allocation process includes appellate mechanisms under which schools can appeal against the allocation due to them under the staffing schedules. At primary level 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.

Primary schools are currently returning data to my Department in relation to their enrolment as of 30 September. My Department has commenced processing this data although all schools have not yet made their returns. The allocation processes including notification to schools will commence early in the New Year.

Teacher allocations to second level are approved by my Department on an annual basis in accordance with generally applied rules relating to recognised pupil enrolment. Each school management authority is required to organise its curriculum, teaching time-table and subject options including Irish, English and Maths having regard to pupils' needs within the limits of its approved teacher allocation.

Significant improvements have been made in the staffing of our second level schools in recent years. In the 2001/2002 school year, there were approximately 24,477 wholetime equivalent teaching posts allocated to second level schools. For 2006/2007, the corresponding figure is 25,454 wholetime equivalent posts. This increase in staffing has improved the pupil-teacher ratio at post primary level in recent years. The pupil-teacher ratio has fallen from 13.85:1 in the 2001/2002 school year to 13.13:1 in the 2006/2007 school year.

The number of teaching posts in primary schools in June 1997 was approximately 21,000. The number in September, 2008 was over 31,000 which is an increase of over 10,000. The average primary class size for the 2007/08 school year was 23.9 down from 26.6 in 1996/97. The pupil-teacher ratio — which includes resource teachers etc.- was 16:1 compared to 22.2 in the 1996/97 school year.