Paul Gogarty (Dublin Mid West, Green Party)
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Question 1448: To ask the Minister for Education and Science the number of schools currently in the Dublin Mid-West constituency; the number of teachers on the roll at primary and second level on 30 September 2008; the projected number on the roll in September 2009; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [48052/08]

Batt O'Keeffe (Cork North West, Fianna Fail)
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My Department's website provides information on an area basis of primary and post-primary schools. The number of teachers nationally at primary level at 30 September, 2008 was 31,134 and at post-primary level was 26,994. The application of the budgetary measures is expected to reduce the numbers in each sector by 200 posts in September, 2009.

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 in relation to both staffing and grant levels 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.

I have no difficulty in setting out for this House or for the public generally the overall net impact of the budget measures on teacher numbers in schools for the 2009/10 school year. I can do this when the allocation process has been completed.

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 create staffing profiles for the schools in the area referred to by the Deputy, could not be justified and would in fact impede the process.