Charlie O'Connor (Dublin South West, Fianna Fail)
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Question 267: To ask the Minister for Education and Science when schools in Dublin South-West will receive formal notice through departmental circulars, of changes arising from budget 2009 announcements; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [39077/08]

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 30th 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.

The detailed staffing allocation for the academic year 2009/10 cannot be determined until the allocation process has fully concluded. 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.

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 process including notification to all primary schools will commence early in the New Year.

Charlie O'Connor (Dublin South West, Fianna Fail)
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Question 268: To ask the Minister for Education and Science if he will arrange for officials of his Department to visit a school (details supplied) in Dublin 24 to discuss its needs in respect of the newcomer population in these schools; if the schools concerned will benefit from his statement that there will be alleviation in respect of language support teacher posts when significant concentration of newcomer pupils as a proportion of the overall enrolment is in place; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [39078/08]

Batt O'Keeffe (Cork North West, Fianna Fail)
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The budget measures will mean that the level of language support will be reduced from a maximum of six extra teachers per school to a maximum of two teachers per school, as was the case before 2007.

However, the ongoing requirement for current levels of language support teachers in schools should also start to reduce in line with lower levels of immigration and in line with improvements in the levels of proficiency of those pupils for whom this resource has been available.

Nonetheless, schools that require language support will still be entitled to get it. We still envisage having over 1,400 language support teachers in our schools in September 2009 and up to about 500 other teachers in part-time posts. By any standards this is a very significant resource and the challenge will be to ensure that it is used to maximum effect.

As I announced on budget day we will also provide for some alleviation for the position of those schools where there is a significant concentration of newcomer pupils as a proportion of the overall enrolment. This will be done on a case by case basis.

The allocation process for language support teachers is an annual one and existing provision is not rolled over automatically. Schools will be applying afresh in the spring and early summer of 2009 for the 2009/10 school year, based on their assessment of the prospective needs of existing pupils and any new pupils they are enrolling.