Written answers

Thursday, 11 December 2008

Department of Education and Science

School Staffing

8:00 pm

Photo of Brian HayesBrian Hayes (Dublin South West, Fine Gael)
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Question 261: To ask the Minister for Education and Science if he will quantify the savings which are to be made at primary and secondary school levels as a result of the increases in class size in budget 2009; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [45738/08]

Photo of Batt O'KeeffeBatt O'Keeffe (Cork North West, Fianna Fail)
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My Department's budget for next year has been prepared on the same fundamental basis as any other year by estimating the number of teachers that will be employed under the different categories given the policies in place, for example, mainstream classroom teachers, special needs and language support teachers and allowing for any change in overall demographics.

Specifically in relation to mainstream classroom teachers, the yield in savings that will result from the change in the primary staffing schedules will ultimately depend on the aggregate impact of the revised staffing schedule on the particular enrolment profile of all schools countrywide as of 30 September last and the operation of the panel system of redeployment. The full year saving is estimated at €6 million for every 100 teaching posts saved. My Department's estimating range for the yield from the staffing schedule adjustment for primary schools is 350- 500 posts saving up to €30 million in a full year. Since the potential yield from this reduction and from the policy changes giving reductions in posts will be offset by new posts due to demographic changes in some schools and the continued policy of allocating special needs posts through the work of the National Council for Special Education the net reduction from the primary sector is estimated to be of the order of 200 posts.

The position for the post-primary sector (i.e. across VEC, Community and Comprehensive schools and not just secondary schools) is that the changed allocation ratios could ultimately yield up to €64m in a full year. However, actual yield will depend on the functioning of a new redeployment scheme yet to be agreed and is also a factor of the extent to which in any locality it will be possible to match teachers that are surplus in some schools with vacancies in their subject specialisms in other schools. Accordingly, the measure will only work through over a number of years and for this reason the yield in 2009 is estimated at up to €8m. Again as is the case in the primary sector the net yield of 200 posts factors in other measures that will reduce the number of posts offset by increases largely related to the expansion of special needs provision elsewhere.

The Deputy will appreciate that while a measure will only yield a portion of that saving in 2009 it is the full year yield that is most relevant given that the Government strategy is to manage the correction needed in the public finances over the coming years as distinct from the 2009 position alone.

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 is on the overall changes on aggregate teacher numbers in schools for the 2009/10 school year. 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.

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