Written answers

Tuesday, 18 November 2008

Department of Education and Science

School Staffing

9:00 pm

Photo of Tom HayesTom Hayes (Tipperary South, Fine Gael)
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Question 599: To ask the Minister for Education and Science the changes he anticipates to the staffing levels of schools (details supplied) in County Tipperary following the recently announced changes for the 2009 educational budget; the grants paid to the schools for the school term 2006/2007 and to date in the school term 2007/2008; the changes in grants and funding he anticipates for the school year 2009/2010; the projections for the schools in the 2009/2010 school year; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [41020/08]

Photo of Paul KehoePaul Kehoe (Wexford, Fine Gael)
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Question 633: To ask the Minister for Education and Science the changes, following the recently announced changes for the 2009 education budget, he anticipates to the staffing levels of a school (details supplied) in County Limerick; the grants paid to this school for the school term 2006/2007 and to date in the school term 2007/2008; the changes in grants and funding he anticipates for the school year 2009/2010; the projections for this school in the 2009/2010 school year; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [41335/08]

Photo of Paul KehoePaul Kehoe (Wexford, Fine Gael)
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Question 647: To ask the Minister for Education and Science the changes, following the recently announced changes for the 2009 education budget, he anticipates to the staffing levels of a school (details supplied) in County Limerick; the grants paid to this school for the school term 2006/2007 and to date in the school term 2007/2008; the changes in grants and funding he anticipates for the school year 2009/2010; the projections for this school in the 2009/2010 school year; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [41349/08]

Photo of Paul KehoePaul Kehoe (Wexford, Fine Gael)
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Question 648: To ask the Minister for Education and Science the changes, following the recently announced changes for the 2009 education budget, he anticipates to the staffing levels of a school (details supplied) in County Limerick; the grants paid to this school for the school term 2006/2007 and to date in the school term 2007/2008; the changes in grants and funding he anticipates for the school year 2009/2010; the projections for this school in the 2009/2010 school year; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [41350/08]

Photo of Paul KehoePaul Kehoe (Wexford, Fine Gael)
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Question 649: To ask the Minister for Education and Science the changes, following the recently announced changes for the 2009 education budget, he anticipates to the staffing levels of a school (details supplied) in County Limerick; the grants paid to this school for the school term 2006/2007 and to date in the school term 2007/2008; the changes in grants and funding he anticipates for the school year 2009/2010; the projections for this school in the 2009/2010 school year; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [41351/08]

Photo of Paul KehoePaul Kehoe (Wexford, Fine Gael)
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Question 650: To ask the Minister for Education and Science the changes, following the recently announced changes for the 2009 education budget, he anticipates to the staffing levels of a school (details supplied) in County Limerick; the grants paid to this school for the school term 2006/2007 and to date in the school term 2007/2008; the changes in grants and funding he anticipates for the school year 2009/2010; the projections for this school in the 2009/2010 school year; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [41352/08]

Photo of Paul KehoePaul Kehoe (Wexford, Fine Gael)
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Question 651: To ask the Minister for Education and Science the changes, following the recently announced changes for the 2009 education budget, he anticipates to the staffing levels of a school (details supplied) in County Limerick; the grants paid to this school for the school term 2006/2007 and to date in the school term 2007/2008; the changes in grants and funding he anticipates for the school year 2009/2010; the projections for this school in the 2009/2010 school year; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [41353/08]

Photo of Paul KehoePaul Kehoe (Wexford, Fine Gael)
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Question 652: To ask the Minister for Education and Science the changes, following the recently announced changes for the 2009 education budget, he anticipates to the staffing levels of a school (details supplied) in County Limerick; the grants paid to this school for the school term 2006/2007 and to date in the school term 2007/2008; the changes in grants and funding he anticipates for the school year 2009/2010; the projections for this school in the 2009/2010 school year; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [41354/08]

Photo of Batt O'KeeffeBatt O'Keeffe (Cork North West, Fianna Fail)
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I propose to take Questions Nos. 599, 633 and 647 to 652, inclusive, 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. The various impacts at school level were included in the Budget day announcements. Even with the Budget measures in place there will still be a significantly increased borrowing requirement in 2009.

My Department will be advising individual schools in the normal way in relation to their staffing and grant allocations. The preparatory work for this has commenced with the processing of enrolment data that has been received from schools. The staffing allocation processes 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. In addition to the mainstream classroom teachers my Department also allocates teaching resources to schools for special needs and language support. 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.

I have no difficulty in setting out for this House or for the public generally the overall changes on aggregate teacher numbers or on grant levels in schools for the 2009/10 school year. I will do this when the allocation processes have been completed. Furthermore the staffing schedule will be published and it is a transparent and clear way of ensuring that schools are treated consistently and fairly and know where they stand.

At this time the priority for my Department within the resources available to it is to carry out those processes in a timely manner. Diverting resources in order to compile either historic information or to create staffing or funding profiles for all of the individual schools requested by the Deputy, information which at this time could only be speculative, could not be justified and would in fact impede the process.

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