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

Question 259: To ask the Minister for Education and Science the number of primary school teachers that are expected to lose their jobs arising from the proposed budget 2009 cuts from January 2009; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [44555/08]

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

Question 260: To ask the Minister for Education and Science if, in the course of calculations in the context of budget 2009 cuts proposed by his Department in 2009, consideration has been given to expected teacher job losses with consequent negative impact on the provision of an adequate standard and scale of education for children in all second level schools here; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [44556/08]

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

Question 261: To ask the Minister for Education and Science if he will withdraw his proposed budget 2009 cuts relative to primary and second level schools; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [44557/08]

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

Question 263: To ask the Minister for Education and Science if he will take action to prevent further deterioration in pupil-teacher ratios at all primary and second level schools here; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [44560/08]

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

Question 264: To ask the Minister for Education and Science if he has specified the extent and nature of services to be cut at primary and second level schools arising from budget 2009 cuts; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [44561/08]

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

Question 265: To ask the Minister for Education and Science if he will introduce measures to ameliorate the impact on schools most seriously affected by budget 2009 cuts in the educational sector; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [44562/08]

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

Question 266: To ask the Minister for Education and Science if he will take steps to address the worsening pupil-teacher ratios expected to arise following his proposals to reduce funding for primary and second level schools here; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [44563/08]

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

Question 267: To ask the Minister for Education and Science when he expects to bring pupil-teacher ratios into line with commitments given by the Government parties prior to 2007 general election; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [44564/08]

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

Question 268: To ask the Minister for Education and Science the steps he will take to bring pupil-teacher ratios in County Kildare, with particular reference to north Kildare, into line with the national average; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [44565/08]

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

Question 269: To ask the Minister for Education and Science if his attention has been drawn to the fact that his announced and proposed budgetary cuts in the educational sector are expected to impact more seriously on schools in County Kildare than elsewhere throughout the country; if he will address this issue in the immediate future; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [44566/08]

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

Question 270: To ask the Minister for Education and Science if he will take steps to ease the effect of the education budget 2009 cuts on schools in County Kildare which are likely to be worst affected; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [44567/08]

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

Question 271: To ask the Minister for Education and Science if he has proposals to address and improve the pupil-teacher ratio in primary schools in north Kildare which have a ratio in excess of the national average; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [44568/08]

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

Question 272: To ask the Minister for Education and Science when he expects to fulfil the commitments made to parents and teachers in north Kildare prior to the last general election with particular reference to pupil teacher ratios in the classroom; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [44569/08]

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

I propose to take Questions Nos. 259 to 261, inclusive, and 263 to 272, inclusive, together.

I have consistently said that 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 and in view of the ominous financial circumstances that we are facing I am not in a position to reverse any of the decisions taken.

I have made it clear in briefing material published on the 2009 Estimates for the Department of Education and Science that overall, the number of primary and post-primary teachers in schools in September 2009 is projected to be about 200 fewer in each sector compared to September, 2008.

Clearly a net reduction in the number of teachers, while relatively small in terms of the overall number of teachers that will continue to be employed in our schools, will of course impact to some degree on the pupil-teacher ratio in a situation where enrolments are rising. This applies to the ratio for the country as a whole in the primary and post-primary sectors and will apply at individual county level also. There may be some differences between counties depending on the distribution of the projected increase in enrolments.

I have already put it on record that I have no difficulty in setting out for this House or for the public generally what the final impact will be on the overall changes on aggregate teacher numbers in schools for the 2009/10 school year and this applies to final pupil-teacher ratios as well. I have been forthright with the Irish people in relation to these measures. I am not claiming in any way that there will be no impact on the staffing position in schools generally but this will vary from school to school and there will be schools where the number of teachers will remain the same.

I will set out the final position when the allocation processes have been completed. The 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. 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. The appellate process is particularly relevant at post-primary level where any specific curricular needs of the school concerned are considered. Also at post-primary there is no effective system wide redeployment scheme at present and this can mean that schools retain teachers, though over quota.

For the moment the priority for my Department is to move ahead with the allocation processes and begin the interaction with individual schools early in the new year and I do not propose to divert staff to engage in producing estimated or hypothetical outcomes for individual counties.