Dan Neville (Limerick West, Fine Gael)
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Question 240: To ask the Minister for Education and Science the vetting system for untrained substitute teachers; and the number of untrained substitute teachers currently employed. [42958/08]

Batt O'Keeffe (Cork North West, Fianna Fail)
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Responsibility for checking on the suitability of new staff for positions in schools rests with Boards of Management as employers. Good practice should involve the checking of recent employment records, qualifications, experience and names of referees where a new substitute teacher is not known to the school or is approaching the school for the first time. While many substitute teachers have previous experience of working in schools and would generally be known to schools it is particularly important that such practice is warranted in any event quite apart from any issues of child protection. In relation to child protection, the arrangements for the vetting of teaching and non-teaching staff are set out in Department Circular 0094/2006, which was issued to all schools in June 2006. The Circular is available on my Department's website.

The vetting arrangements were introduced in September 2006 for vetting of new teachers at the time of their initial registration with the Teaching Council regardless of whether they are likely to enter permanent employment or take up appointments as substitute or part-time teachers. The procedures also apply to prospective employees for posts that involve working with children such as Special Needs Assistants, bus drivers, bus escorts to children with special needs, caretakers and other ancillary staff in schools.

As the expansion of service by the Garda Vetting Unit is rolled out, my Department will be consulting the relevant education stakeholders on how best to introduce the vetting of existing teachers that are working in any capacity — permanent, part-time or substitute in the school system and other existing education staff working with children. The circular does require the vetting of any person being appointed to a teaching position (whether permanent, part-time or substitute) who has not been employed in the school system in the previous three years.

Irrespective of the position on vetting, where facts or information comes to a Board of Management's attention calling into question a person's suitability to work with children it is a matter for the Board to satisfy itself that the person is suitable to work in that capacity. This will naturally have to be assessed on a case by case basis. The Board will have to consider all the circumstances of the case, give due weight to all relevant factors and afford fair procedures to the individual concerned before making a decision. The information regarding the number of unqualified substitute teachers is being compiled in my Department and will be forwarded directly to the Deputy.

Ruairi Quinn (Dublin South East, Labour)
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Question 241: To ask the Minister for Education and Science the number of full-time and permanent teachers employed in private fee-paying schools and the cost of their salaries; the number of full-time, temporary or contracted teachers employed in private fee-paying schools; the amount their salaries cost; the number of part-time teachers working in private fee-paying schools; the amount their salaries cost; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [42967/08]

Batt O'Keeffe (Cork North West, Fianna Fail)
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In the 2008/09 school year, my Department allocated a total of 1,715 whole time equivalent teaching posts to the private fee-paying post primary school sector. The recruitment and appointment of teachers to fill these teaching posts is a matter for the individual school authority subject to agreed procedures. It is estimated that the average cost of employing a post-primary school teacher is €64,000 per annum.